The Cameroon Super Cup was the scene of an unusual protest on Saturday, March 1, 2026, when the club Colombe du Dja et Lobo decided to leave the field to denounce what they considered biased refereeing during their match against Panthère Sportive du Ndé. This radical action follows an accumulation of frustrations related to questionable refereeing decisions, culminating in this Super Cup match.
According to Alain Denis Ikoul, an analyst of the Cameroonian football scene, Colombe du Dja et Lobo had already felt targeted by refereeing harassment for several weeks. The club had publicly denounced unpaid debts from the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), amounting to more than half a billion CFA francs, accumulated over four years. These debts concern state subsidies and various bonuses. By daring to break the code of silence and claim its rights, the club expected retaliation.
During the Super Cup match, a penalty deemed "totally imaginary" was awarded against Colombe, exacerbating the tension. Panthère's managers allegedly entered the referees' dressing room at half-time, according to the club. Faced with this situation, Colombe chose to follow the advice of Samuel Eto'o, president of FECAFOOT, who had declared during the last AFCON that it is courageous to say no to injustice.
By leaving the field, Colombe du Dja et Lobo took a considerable risk to denounce what it considers a "republic of tailor-made champions," where victories are decided off the field, in disregard of sporting merit. The club hopes to put an end to corruption and biased refereeing, and restore football's values of fairness and justice.
However, this action could have serious consequences for Colombe du Dja et Lobo. The club could face even more unfavorable refereeing in the future, an abusive relegation, suspensions for its managers, and online abuse. Despite the risks, Colombe's players and managers believe it was necessary to say, "We just want fair refereeing".
FECAFOOT has not yet officially reacted to this incident. The governing body of Cameroonian football will have to rule on the follow-up to this affair, which highlights the persistent problems of refereeing and governance in Cameroonian football. In the meantime, the image of Cameroonian football is tarnished by this fiasco that occurred during a match supposed to celebrate the champions.
