African Competitions: Understanding Cameroon’s Poor Showing

The premature ousting of Eding Sport FC and New Stars Douala from African competitions this year raises more questions on the competitiveness of the local championship.

The two Cameroonian flagbearers in African competitions, Eding Sport FC of Lekié and New Stars of Douala have been booted out of the race for this year. Eding Sport lost to Plateau United of Nigeria 1-0 in Yaounde on Wednesday February 21, 2018. In the away leg played in Nigeria, Eding Sport was beaten 3-0.

The club has therefore been eliminated from the African champions League with a 4- 0 aggregate loss to Nigeria. As if that was not enough, cup holders, New Stars of Douala, failed to qualify for the second round of the CAF Confederations Cup after they lost to Deportivo Neifang of Equatorial Guinea 0-1 in Bata, on Tuesday February 20, 2018.

Their early elimination has brought about many questions on the level of the national championship in the country. Cameroonian clubs have put up a mediocre performance in African competitions in recent years. Since the introduction of the professional football league of Cameroon in 2011, only Coton Sport of Garoua have reached the second round of the African Champions League.

The reasons for the early exit of Eding Sport FC and New Stars Douala from the African Champions League and the CAF Confederations Cup are many and varied. Eding Sport and New Stars went into the African competitions without having had enough competitions at home.

The national championship only started this month with only two playing days while their opponents have had several playing days. That alone had a negative impact on the Cameroonian players. Internal squabbles within th...