FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2015: The Usual Match Bonus Crisis

It is no news for any Cameroonian sporting delegation to be denied of their deserving benefits by either the government or some top ranking government official. Its like a tradition and even in the just ended 2014 world cup in Brazil same thing happened with the lions and today it is the turn of their female compatriot. All I want to know is who allocate theses bonus and who is appointed to hand them to those players. I believe the ministry of sport and FECAFOOT has workers who earn monthly salaries and if that salary is tempted with even just once a month it causes turbulence within the ministry so why can’t they not act responsibly when comes to people who go to represent out nation. It’s not like the money is been taking off their salary. A report by "Le Jour" News paper back home reported that the players have been on strike since the 26^th of May and have promised to boycott their first match against Ecuador if their bonus is not being paid. But on Thursdays they called of their strike actions as they have been to receive 15million frs CFA which is half of what they were asking before their match on Monday.

It is also important to note that the kick off of the female football world cup will take place on Saturday the 6^th In Canada and also for this years’ tournament the has been an increase in the number of teams from 16 to 24 and consequently an increase in the number of matches from 24 to 32 matches.

Even though have high hopes with my national team be it the male or female squad, I am still patiently waiting for that special day when we will bring the trophy back home. Type of dreams Cameroonians always have. 

Teenage Pregnancy: Mother's Excuse On Fighting Poverty

Last week Saturday we had a discussion in one of our lectures about teenage pregnancy on some of the reasons behind it and we try to use South Africa as our case study or point of interest. What got my attention was what one of my colleagues said as one of the primary causes of teenage pregnancy in South Africa today POVERTY. It so surprising and humiliating that a parent will send their teenage daughter to go get pregnant so they can receive R400 monthly grant from the government. I do believe the South African Government located social grants on teenage girls who get pregnant because firstly as a government they need to provide for the social well being of its citizens and also gives the girl a second chance in life.

Approximately 30% of teenagers in South Africa have ever been pregnant a huge majority of it is unplanned and the ages lies between 13-19 years. Yes we all know the main reason for teenage pregnancy is poverty and lack of education. In the Eastern Cape alone 65 percent of girls between the ages from 13 to 19 already have about three kids of their own and are not even married.  “The whole family! The mother is giving birth, the daughters also some of the daughters even infected HIV, kids having kids. They are some families with 8 kids and they surly rely on the government grant of R400 per month for each child for the well being of the family. Some women carry the notion of more children more grants and so even force their girl-child to go get pregnant so they could get more money from the government. This is so disgusting and to extend can be seen as child abuse.  

I do not think those mothers know the consequences of their actions because they turned to base their mind surly on the grants which they are going to get for each child. Some people have argued that the grants which those teenage mothers get from the government is what is encourages them to get pregnant at a very tender age of 13.  But the government has denied that its policy has led to unwanted pregnancies. A study in 2006 by the country’s Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) determined that since the child support grant was enacted in 1998, only 20 percent of teen mothers received the payment, since most could not produce identity documents to quality for the money. But those studies were made in 2006 and 9 solid years has passed might be it needs to be revised. I do believe the only question which we got on our minds now is "should the Government stop financial grant for teenage mothers"? I will leave that you readers to answer that. 

FIFA: Dirty Laundry All Out

As many would say, the long awaited time has finally come. FIFA right now can be characterized as the headquarters of bribery and corruption. Last week, 14 top FIFA executive were charged with bribery and corruption and match fixing. Among those men arrested was Chuck Blazer, an American who was general secretary of the confederation of soccer-playing nations in North and Central America and the Caribbean — CONCACAF, which includes the U.S. — and a powerful member of FIFA's ruling executive committee and  Jack Warner, then president of the U.S. region's confederation. Chuck Blazer is accused of taking bribe from the South African government in exchange for his vote towards South Africa hosting of the 2010 world.

The irony about all this is that the south Africa government agrees that it payed 10 million dollars to FIFA in 2004 but it was the African Diaspora and they is a latter by the south African minster to back of that but Chuck Blazer says he received a bribe from the south African Government during that period. And it becomes more interesting when Jack Warner who was in-charged of the African Diaspora at the time says he did not receive any bribe from the South African government. This just makes us to wonder who is lying in this whole scandal and has kept SAFA 2010 committee members on their toes.


Jack warner in a press conference yesterday said 'i have stayed quiet for so long and I won’t do that anymore’. Jack Warner he has being in the FIFA executive for more than 30 years and he has promised to exposed everything in the next coming week and in 2011 he even asked Sepp Blatter to step down and not to run as president. I just never knew football could have so much drama even in boardrooms and offices.

FIFA; Its Just Another Allegation

Once again the international football governing body FIFA is on the spotlight not for anything positive but as usual for bribery and corruption regarding south Africa winning the bid to host the 2010 world Cup. Last week the FIFA authorities at the US district court arrested 14 officials of bribery and corruption and accused south Africa of playing 10 million US dollar to in return for votes to host the 2010 world Cup in South Africa. president of the (SAFA) South African Football Authority responded to this allegations by saying “I haven’t paid a bribe or taken a bribe from anybody in my life. We don’t know who is mentioned there [in the US indictment]. And I don’t want to assume that I am mentioned.” He later when on to say “How could we have paid a bribe for votes four years after we had won the bid?”. According to Danny Jordan SAFA president' the money which according to them is seen or considered as bribery was paid in 2008 and was meant to the development of African Diaspora. But as we all know 'THE IS NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE'.

It is also good to mention that this organization which is so marked by bribery and corruption in recent years just got it president re-elected for the 5th time as president in the person of Mr. Sepp Blatter. Lets say football is not only played in the pitch even in behind closed rooms in boardroom offices soccer is being played.