Sports Minister, Gweha Ikouam Are Killing Football In Cameroon - Taninche
Friday, April 10, 2009
Interviewed by Innocent Mbunwe, Ernest Sumelong & Elvis Tah
acamstockholm.comFernand Taninche, the football agent who sued Sports and Physical Education Minister, Augustin Edjoa, and Lions Head Coach, Otto Pfister, for breach of contract, has opened the can of worms of the shady deals between the Sports Minister, Otto Pfister, and Lions Assistant Coach, Gweha Ikouam. He says Augustin Edjoa and Gweha Ikouam are killing Cameroon’s football. In this exclusive interview with The Post, Taniche talks about Pfister’s controversial appointment, the court case and problems rocking Cameroon football. Excerpts:
You are now a controversial figure in football setting in the country due to the problems you have with the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Edjoa and Lions coach, Otto Pfister, who is Fernand Taninche?I am a former professional football player converted now as a player agent although I don’t have a FIFA licence. You know there are licensed FIFA agents and others without licence like scouts. I worked for Europe based sports Agency, Majestic Management but we are at a FIFA court because they owe me about one million US dollars for three players; George Ambasa in Baovista sold in January 2005 during the transfer window, Gustav Anicet Bebe Mbangue in Turkey sold in the summer of 2005 and Emmanuel Amungwa from Cotonsport. Amungwa first travelled to Portugal and now he is in Israel. Bebe Mbangue signed a contract with Majestic Management, the company which I represent in Africa.
You recently sued the Minister of Sports and Physical Education and Otto Pfister for breach of contract, can you explain how you got into this deal?In fact, I was a close friend to the Minister and when Cameroon was looking for a coach, I made a proposal to find one and the minister authorised me through a written power of attorney. Later on he said I was not involved in the deal.
What happened between the Coach, the Minister and yourself that resulted to the court case?The litigation came as a result of the non-payment of my fee for providing a coach. I had an agreement to receive 20 percent of Otto Pfister’s earnings. Otto Pfister was eager to coach Cameroon, particularly anxious to coach Samuel Eto’o Fils. He told me to do everything for him to coach Cameroon and that, if I succeed, he will give me 20 percent of all his earnings in Cameroon. After my mediation and he got the job, he started bluffing. When I took the matter to the press, scandalised and exposed as he was, he acknowledged the 20 percent deal. But he told me that the Sports Minister and the Lions Assistant Coach, Gweha Ikouam had told him to say that he does not know me.
At what level is the court case now? The case will come up soon. The Head of State knows that there is a Cameroonian who brought a coach to Cameroon that qualified us to the 2008 Nations Cup final. That is why during the preliminary investigation of the matter, not only the coach but the Minister was also interrogated by the police and the Attorney General.
Before the recruitment of Otto Pfister, his name was not in the list of five names short listed by FECAFOOT; how did he finally get the job?Otto Pfister came into the deal because I advised the Minister that we have a development project (SYFODA Project) put in place by my American partner, Mark Dillon, organiser of the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Otto Pfister was also involved in the project that was to revitalise Cameroon football by building stadia, train coaches and administrators and not only football administrators but other team sports all over the National territory.
What has become of the SYFODA project; has it been dumped?The project is on the Minister’s table.
That sounds like a lofty project that would have helped the country; but why has it not been implemented?You know, in Cameroon, when you bring a suitable project and people who are involved are not satisfied with their personal proceeds, they frustrate it. After the presentation of the project, I told the Minister that nobody will be allowed to steal a franc from it, knowing what it takes for Americans to invest in a project.
Going through these documents you are brandishing, it indicates that the Minister had given the green light for the project which they even started with feasibility studies, what later happened?I told you that this is the bad mentality President Paul Biya is fighting against. He will punish all the perpetrators who are stifling development in this country. The project was aimed at getting American and European sponsors and donors to develop sports in our country at no cost on the part of government but the minister preferred the Chinese whose project is only bringing debts to the tune of FCFA billions to the Nation. It is a shame for us because the Minister would refuse a gift from the Americans to accept a debt from the Chinese.
Let me tell you something, in the SYFODA project, Otto Pfister accepted FCFA 13 million per month as salary to be coach for the Lions, but I am surprised that he now ends FCFA 15 million. Don’t you see that there is something fishy? Instead of negotiating for something less than FCFA 13 million as earlier agreed, you increase it to FCFA 15 million, this is just to ruin the Nation’s finances.
Cameroon recently lost to Togo 0-1 in the last phase of the 2010 qualifiers, what do you think was the problem?The problem is that the technical bench did not call up the right players. For instance, how can we avoid a player like Eyong Enoh of Ajax Amsterdam who is at the summit of his career? Enoh is the much talked about midfielder today in Holland and Ajax is also one of the top clubs in the world, but they prefer to call players from obscured teams in Russia and elsewhere. Another case in point is that of Achille Emana, of Real Betis. He is the first African to be appointed captain in a top league like Spain for the very first year that he joined the club.
The most disheartening reason of wrong players being called up is that, Otto Pfister’s son who is based in Europe, Mike Pfister, is running a football agency call M&P Football Agency.
Because, this agency trades players, Mike influences the father, Otto Pfister, to call certain players whom he happens to be their agent. Calling these players into the National Team will facilitate their sale in Europe.
For your information, when a player is called to join the Lions, so many big clubs in Europe will send their scouts to monitor and approach these players because of the fame the Indomitable Lions has worldwide.
Since little known players don’t find it easy to sign good contracts, those who understand the network are bound to enter a kind of agreement for a fee with M&P Football Agency in order to be called up into the National Team by Otto Pfister. It is a mafia, because Minister Edjoa and the Lions Assistant Coach, Gweha, are both involved.
Why do you think Eyong Enoh was not called up?Eyong has not been called because of the problem I have with the Minister and the Coach. When my relationship with the Minister was good, that is before the appointment of Pfister, he asked me to submit a list of young and new players I think can help the country. That I did, with Eyong’s name included along side Carl Lobe who happens to be my players.
Since you started narrating your deals with the Minister and the Coach, we have not heard you talk about FECAFOOT, which is supposed to be the body managing football in the country. Why?At that time I did not know that FECAFOOT was sidelined from the deal. I have been working with Americans and Europeans for long and I have a different mentality. I was told that things were going fine with FECAFOOT, not knowing that it was the contrary. The Minister and Gweha are spoiling our football. You saw how because of their influence, Cameroon disgraced itself in Algeria in the Under-17 Championship and how things happened during the last Olympic Games in China.
People say that Gweha was not appointed on merit but on the basis of his relationship with the Minister. How true is that? Of course, if he is not a very good friend to Edjoa, what was he doing with us (American partner) in a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office with the then American Ambassador, Neils Marquardt, during the introduction of the SYFODA project in May 2007? His appointment was made in October 2007.
They started their deals long ago at Lycee Le Clerc with some Americans, a business that Gweha duped President Calvin Foinding of Mount Cameroon FC. Foinding started the transaction with some Americans and Gweha later on hijacked it. Foinding is a gentleman who doesn’t like trouble but for me, I like trouble.
As a football agent what proposal do you have to better our football in the country?The only way forward is to go back to the SYFODA project that would build us stadia in Cameroon, change our mentality and train trainers. If we train trainers, they will have a change in mentality. For example, since our coaches are not well paid, they ask money from players to be fielded in a game at the detriment of the team. Also, FECAFOOT has started doing a good job and I think if they can combine with the SYFODA project it will be a very good thing for the Nation.
What, in your opinion, is the reason why the Minister is not willing to permit the SYFODA Project?He is hesitant because he started wrongly from the base. Working with people who are straightforward and you yourself not being clean poses trouble. Imagine a person with whom I have operated with, talking publicly now that he does not know me; is it not a shame? I am known world wide whereas he is recognised only in Cameroon. I have helped so many families in Cameroon by taking their children to Europe who now play professional football and are helping their folks back home.
Experts are saying that for Cameroon soccer to forge ahead the Minister should be sacked, what is your opinion on that? I share the same opinion. I will give all the information I have about the Minister irrespective of the dead threats on my life. Knowing that the Head of State is a nice man, who likes justice, he would put all of them into prison.
Rumours are rife that the Minister recently bought a villa in Lyon, France; have you any idea how true the story is?I also heard about the news while in Europe, but you know, I don’t say things that I don’t have evidence. For instance, when I say that Otto Pfister was demanding FCFA 13 million per month as salary, I have documents from my American partners. We don’t have a physical trainer but the salary of the physical trainer is being paid into Otto Pfister’s account; don’t you think that this is mafia? Fortunately, Cameroonians are not fools; the truth will one day come out. Don’t be surprised that you will hear in court that Minister Edjoa is the one behind my commission.