Pierre Batamack, a member of the FECAFOOT Executive Committee, president of Avion FC, and spokesperson for ACEC, has responded to accusations from La Colombe du Sud regarding the non-payment of subsidies.
Batamack stated on RSI on March 2, 2026, that FECAFOOT has never refused to pay subsidies to the club. He explained that ACEC requested FECAFOOT to suspend the payment due to an agreement linking La Colombe to the association.
"The Cameroonian Football Federation has never refused to pay subsidies to La Colombe. It is we, ACEC, who said, in view of the agreement linking us with Colombe, that FECAFOOT should not pay them until they pay us," he declared. Batamack clarified that ACEC had established a "third-party holder" mechanism, meaning that if FECAFOOT paid La Colombe directly, the latter would not pay ACEC. He also questioned the non-payment to ACEC of the World Cup money that was supposed to be paid according to the agreement.
Batamack added that ACEC had seized some of La Colombe's subsidies to force the club to pay its debts to other clubs. He criticized La Colombe's behavior, which he considers an attempt to tarnish FECAFOOT's image, particularly by refusing to play a match. He emphasized that FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto'o would no longer tolerate blackmail and that those at fault would be sanctioned.
Pierre Batamack's statement comes amid tensions surrounding the funding of Cameroonian football clubs. La Colombe du Sud is reportedly claiming over 150 million FCFA from FECAFOOT in unpaid bonuses and subsidies. The club claims it has not received state subsidies for four seasons. In January 2025, the Cameroonian government granted a subsidy of 560 million FCFA to clubs in the MTN Elite One and MTN Elite Two championships.
