The foundation stone was jointly laid by the sports minister and president of Fecafoot in a ceremony yesterday November 13 in Yaounde.
The Cameroon Football Federation has embarked on an ambitious project to construct an ultra-modern building to host the headquarters of the association. Laying the foundation stone for the construction of the edifice yesterday in Yaounde, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua said the construction of the building falls within the framework of a vast programme for the development of sports infrastructure submitted by Fecafoot and approved by the government. He congratulated Fecafoot for the initiative and urged presidents of other sports associations to emulate the example. Adoum Garoua advised Fecafoot to respect the regulation governing the award of contracts in Cameroon. He disclosed that the building to cost close to FCFA 2 billion will be financed with proceeds from the World Cup and urged Fecafoot to judiciously manage the money which had blocked in a special account at FIFA, saying the government will have an eye on them.
The president of Fecafoot, Iya Mohammed said the construction of the head office was a mark of maturity for the federation as in Africa, a child is considered mature only when he builds a house. He said the construction of the office will be followed by extension work on the Fecafoot Technical Centre in Odza with pitches for futsal and beach soccer, renovation of the administrative block and provision of boarding facilities worthy of a three-star hotel. Iya Mohammed also disclosed that offices will be constructed for all regional leagues and the stadium in Ngoumou will soon be completed. The measures, he said, are Fecafoot’s way of accompanying President Paul Biya in his policy of great accomplishments.
The edifice to comprise four storeys will be delivered in thirteen months and add to the beauty of the capital city-Yaounde. As a symbol of federation, the ten regional league presidents brought soil samples from their various regions, which were put on the foundation stone. The ceremony was graced with performances from traditional dance groups from different parts of the country, the band of the Yaounde city council and popular music. There was a welcome speech from the president of the Centre Regional league and mayor of Yaounde II, Luc Assamba. The nature of the building was presented by the architects led by Fobi Tchinda while the construction company, Guimar Cameroun took an oath to complete the work within time and within budget.
