The Cameroon Football Federation and French Journalist Romain Molina are at daggers drawn with tension rising between the two.

On Wednesday, investigative journalist Romain Molina published a video to denounce practices within the Ghana and Cameroon selections where players are accused of having paid for places to play the World Cup.

As an aftermath, the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) responded on Friday Nov. 9 through a press release.

“We have been told that a controversy over racketeering practices within the Indomitable Lions is ongoing on social media. After investigations, we found that these remarks came from a video posted online by a certain Romain Molina, who presents himself as an ‘independent French investigative journalist’ and claims in his words that Cameroonian players paid to be called up to the national team, » without further details.

Press release by the Cameroon Football Federation on Friday, Dec. 9

These allegations were immediately taken up and amplified by Cameroonian platforms. The Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) reassures the public that it will shed light on this affair,” the statement begins.

The football body then countered and tried to discredit Molina by accusing him of having sought to blackmail Samuel Eto’o, the president of FECAFOOT

“On November 23, the president of FECAFOOT, Mr. Samuel Eto’o, was contacted in writing through Whatsapp messages by a correspondent presenting himself as Romain Molina. He indicated in his writings that he has documents and a USB key containing audio and telephone conversations detrimental to the image of the Federation as well as that of its President. To add, this individual said that he was ready to give up the publication of these elements in exchange for the payment of the sum of 25,000 euros, to be transferred to an account for which he sent the bank identity statement. The person concerned was also prepared to give the names of his sponsors, who according to him had already paid him 7,000 euros in advance and had undertaken to pay a balance of 13,000 euros after publication. Naturally, the President of Fecafoot never responded to this request, because it is a principle not to negotiate with blackmailers. In any case, Fecafoot plans to take a complaint to French justice relating to this attempted extortion of funds. On the occasion of this procedure, it will have the right to access the file, so as to see it more clearly”, continued Fecafoot, recalling its “commitment to watching over the image of the Indomitable Lions and to establish virtuous governance within, and getting rid of all the bad practices of a past that is now over.”

To his defense,
Molina denied any recent contact with Eto’o and affirmed photos in support, that he exchanged with him only once, last March, about a case of players trafficking in Cameroonian football.

“There are two possibilities. Either someone pretended to be me, which was the case two weeks ago and I also filed a complaint against , the second possibility is simply that the Cameroonian Federation invented all this to try to drown the fish. Besides, it should be noted that, for these stories of racketeering, they do not deny, they says that they are even going to try to shed light, so it is very convenient… So I notice that people are quicker to lie, especially concerning the protection of children.I expect a very strong apology from the Cameroonian Football Federation and that we shed light on all this”, explained Molina.

“If Samuel Eto’o needs to talk to me, he can call me because he is not involved with the racketeering in selection which concerns members of the technical staff. So I will be happy to explain to him over the phone, on the other hand, lies like that, stop!”, Molina concluded.

By Brian Mboh