According to websites and social media users, the Cameroonian Football Federation is allegedly being sentenced by a French court for unilaterally terminating its contract with the French sportswear company "Le Coq Sportif."
The posts claimed that the Cameroonian team would be replaced in the World Cup competitions by the Algerian team.
FIFA Has Not Responded to the Claim
Misbar investigated the claim and found that FIFA had made no comment on the circulating claim. They did not mention the possibility of excluding the Cameroonian national team from the World Cup Qatar 2022 or replacing it with Algeria.
After the Cameroonian Football Federation's contract with the French sportswear company Le Coq Sportif was broken by Le Coq Sportif on its own, the Paris Commercial Court ruled against the federation on November 3.
After the president of the federation, Samuel Eto'o, ended the contract, the commercial court made it last until December 2023.
Christian Bomo Ntimbane, a Cameroonian lawyer, suggested mediation between the company and the federation.
"This may lead to the exclusion of Cameroon from the World Cup," he told Actu Cameroun, according to Goal.
“A point that must be taken into consideration,” the lawyer stated.
He urged calm, stating that the dispute would be resolved by French law.
“I call on the two parties to sit down and amicably resolve the issue or take a decision related to the partnership continuity,” he said.
He stated that if the Cameroonian Football Federation fails to comply with French law, it might be expelled from the tournament.
Reports Ruled Out a Possible Exclusion for Cameroon
According to reports, the alleged exclusion of the Cameroon national team from the competitions has nothing to do with FIFA regulations.
Since no team has ever been disqualified from the World Cup by FIFA for a similar reason, reports suggested a variety of solutions to the issue.
Cameroon’s Official Shirt for the World Cup Qatar 2022
The Cameroonian Football Federation unveiled the official kit for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, designed by the American sportswear company "One All Sports."
Following the official announcement, the shirts were also displayed in a number of stores.
This claim was made two weeks before Cameroon's Group G game against Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia.
Misbar’s Sources
Khadija Bofous contributed to this blog.
