Innocent Mbunwe
6 October 2008
How Otto Pfister became head coach of the Indomitable Lions is still of great controversy and has left the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education and the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, divided.
The facts of Pfister's controversial appointment reveal that Sports and Physical Education Minister, Augustin Thierry Edjoa, reportedly tricked some Americans, got involved in a "shady deal" with Pfister's son, Mike, and appointed the German.
The Post learnt that some Americans, in connection with some Cameroonians based in the US, presented a lofty project with the acronym, SYFODA, (System de football durable), to develop football in the country.
According to the project, a copy which The Post got, the Americans were to restructure Cameroonian football by creating well defined structures which include, infrastructure, medical, marketing and the technical aspect of the game.
The project that was submitted to Augustine Edjoa in 2007 was described by the former US Ambassador to Cameroon, Neils Marquardt, as a new and revolutionary way forward for Cameroon's football.
The American project was introduced in Cameroon thanks to Fernand Taninche, a soccer agent, with the blessing of Cameroon's Roving Ambassador, Albert Roger Milla.A meeting was held at the Prime Minister's office, involving PM Ephraim Inoni, Minister Edjoa, Neils Marquardt, Fernand Taninche, Lions Assistant Coach, Gweha Ikouam, etc to present the SYFODA concept.
Inoni was reportedly so enthusiastic about the American project and thanked Fernand Taninche for bringing the golden opportunity to Cameroon. Neils Marquardt, on his part, reportedly said the US Embassy would support SYFODA.
Minister Edjoa, after a series of meetings on the venture, reportedly signed a contract with the leader of the SYFODA project, Mark Dillon, and asked him to begin feasibility studies in the domain of infrastructure, sponsorship and viability. The agreement, The Post learnt, was for 90 days after which, Edjoa would make SYFODA official and pay about FCFA 30 million for expenses of the feasibility studies.
More than a year after the Americans completed the feasibility studies; the Minister is yet to pay a franc as promised, The Post.Besides, the Americans went ahead negotiating for sponsorship, and two major US Corporations showed interest in sponsoring the project. Also, a parcel of land near the Nsimalen International Airport, owned by a Cameroonian who happens to be president of an American company, had already been provided for the project.
The land was to be used by a new National Sports Centre and Business Incubator for manufacturing sports wears and creating jobs for hundreds of Cameroonians.The Major League Soccer (US professional League) was reportedly ready to assist in creating a plan for a new professional league in Cameroon alongside integrated academies for youth development.
The United States Sports Academy (largest sports Education University in the world) also allegedly declared its intention to join SYFODA in creating programmes to train Cameroonian youths in sports management, medicine, coaching and business.
The SYFODA project, The Post gathered, had experts in various domains in soccer management. The crew was to work to build a national system that would develop Cameroonian football from the National Youth Programmes to championships and schools until a "Dream Team" is formed.
The project was also to maximise the financial potential of the Indomitable Lions as a global brand. The venture was to bring a new standard of ethics to Cameroonian football, eliminating corruption and private deals.
According to the development, business managers with the know-how in global marketing, as well as international organisations such as the UN and IMF were to help create a platform that supports Cameroon football.As part of the project, renowned medical professionals had been chosen to address the health of players, care and prevention of injuries, nutrition and fitness.
The project had as manager, Mark Dillon, (American), Business Manager, Mike Pfister, (German) Finance Director and Finance Engineer, Joseph Mailli and Wilfred Abena, respectively, (both Cameroonians based in the US) Lions coach, Otto Pfister, (German) Medical Director, Dr. John Russell (medical director and head of the US Olympic teams medical programme) and Dennis Mitchell (World Champion Sprinter and expert in fitness development).
After the submission of the project, Minister Edjoa later sidelined FECAFOOT and the Americans and selected Otto Pfister, who was projected by the SYFODA project as the Lions Coach.
It is alleged that, after the submission of the project, personal interests came into play.
Joseph Mailli and Mike Pfister, with the complicity of his father, Otto Pfister, now linked with the Lions, later teamed up and created a similar project, M&P Global Football Agency. The Post learnt that Edjoa sidestepped the SYFODA project and chose to work with the new outfit to the embarrassment of everyone.
It is reported that Otto Pfister's appointment is not unconnected to an affair between Minister Edjoa, Ghewa Ikouam and Mike Pfister.Otto Pfister, before his recruitment as Indomitable Lions Coach had demanded an amount that was substantially less than the amount later negotiated for and accepted by Minister Edjoa in Otto's current contract. It is alleged that Edjoa sidelined the SYFODA project (that would benefit the entire country) and signed Otto Pfister more because such a deal would benefit him.
It should be recalled that Fernand Taninche and Mark Dillon, (the brain behind the SYFODA Project) submitted Otto Pfister's application to FECAFOOT for the Lions coaching job.
Meanwhile, before Otto Pfister's appointment, the Prime Minister's office had intervened and an agreement was reached stating that FECAFOOT would launch a bid for tender for a Lions coach and a shortlist of five names would be submitted to the Minister, from which he would then appoint a coach.
But the Minister ignored FECAFOOT's list and surreptitiously appointed Otto Pfister.
Considering that the SYFODA project has seemingly been abandoned with total silence on the issue, Ejoa is said to have destroyed a blue print for Cameroon's football because of what some describe as personal interest.
Even the appointment of Gweha Ikouam, who is said to be practically in control of the National Team, is alleged to have been born of the shady deal since he participated in all the meetings alongside Minister Edjoa.
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