Tarzan Supporters Protest Team's Diqualification

By Ernest Sumelong

Disgruntled supporters of Tarzan Social Club of Mutengene, Friday, August 18, mounted roadblocks, causing temporary traffic congestion to and from Mutengene, in protest against a Southwest Cameroon Federation of Football, FECAFOOT, decision, excluding the team from this year's mini-interpools.

The small crowd is reported to have raced to the residence of the Southwest Secretary General of FECAFOOT, Stephen Taku Mbu, causing him to flee. After their fruitless hunt for the FECAFOOT scribe, they blocked the road leading to Buea.

"This is injustice, the Governor must hear us," they thundered, mounting stones and logs of wood on the main road.According to the supporters' spokesperson, Jude Kum, Southwest FECAFOOT authorities have unjustly denied their team a chance to play in the mini-interpools.

He argued that they were to play a match in the triangular tournament, which would determine that team that will qualify for the Southwest mini-interpools. They also claimed that other teams that have money have bought their way through, while Tarzan Social Club, which duly qualified, was cheated.

"Six of our players were disqualified for unjustified reasons, our president, two coaches and the team doctor were all sanctioned. FECAFOOT has been very unfair to the team," Kum lamented. 

According to an official classification of the teams, Prisons Club of Buea occupy the first position with 22 points plus 5 goals, Tarzan Social Club of Mutengene come second with 18 points plus 3 goals, while Dynamic Football Club of Muyuka and PWD of Kumba occupy fourth and fifth positions with 18 points plus 2 goals each.

After a special Southwest FECAFOOT classification, Tarzan Social Club appeared at the fourth position, thereby eliminated from the competition.The President of Tarzan Social Club, Princewill Alima, told The Post that he has appealed against the decision.

According to him, they have had a rough season and unfair treatment from FECAFOOT.
"I did not know that my supporters were striking, I also heard of it since I was not in town. You know supporters have their own way of reacting to certain decisions.

We have appealed and are waiting to see whether the final decision comes out in our favour or not. We will remain calm and take the decision as it comes," Alima stated.

Unjustified

Reacting to the protest, the Mayor of Buea Council and Southwest President of FECAFOOT, Charles Mbella Moki, told The Post that Tarzan's action was not justified. He said the various committees of FECAFOOT did their best to arrive at the decision.

He regretted the supporters' action and remarked that if the team's management and supporters are honest enough and go through their case with diligence, they would accept the FECAFOOT verdict.

He stated that the management and supporters of Tarzan owe an apology to Taku Mbu, who on many occasions pleaded the team's case. Mbella called on the supporters and football lovers of the Province to consider the security of people before indulging in acts that could jeopardize public peace and security.

Comments

[Big Joe]

If our contributions on the UB certificates fraud saga could caused panic and prompted the post to delete all the comments over night then i think we are a force to rekon with. If we keep on with the pressure by commenting on the issue and revealing more names where ever possible on this forum, there will be more panic and at the end of the day something fruitful will be achieved.

The post could not have unilaterally taken such a decision, instructions probably came from above with strings attached

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Football in the South West must undergo scrutiny and be void of favoritism and decrimination.Sometimes teams are fsvored because of finacial backings then later suffer the pangs at the interpools.A team that qulaifies for the interpools can easily qualify for the 1st Division,only when it has the blessing from the province.Most teams go and come back without a draw because of incompetency and inefficiency.I believe SouthWest FECAFOOT should take into consideration team's spirit and determination than to use referees to win matches for favored teams who later disappoint the province as a whole.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong

[Teribobs]

Fritzane,
I think you are having a speedy conclusion. Mbella Moki says the President is pleading the case of Tarzan. The President's level-headedness speaks volumes and he says he will accept the verdict of his appeal if I understood that article.

Here apart from the prevalent issue of foul-play, I see one big cankerworm plaguing us. We never bother to get details before reacting. I will not be surprised if somebody starts giving this issue a political twist. It suffices for one drunk on the street to say Tarzan was cheated and others will join him without getting into the crux of the matter. This is very typical of payee.

[Fritzane Kiki HK]

Teribobs,
But this is not the first instance of cheating and favoritism rocking the interpools.I am generalising here because teams in the smaller interior and hinterlands of the SouthWest province are always disfavored no matter what amount of football and goals they score they are always disappointed and never make it to the interpools.The manner of grim-face-cadre in which the Tarzan supporters stormed the home of the Head of the South West FECAFOOT was not by hearsay.They merit their own share of the once-in-a-life-time mini and if possible interpool ambiance.Statistics shows that South West FECAFOOT prefares only teams from big towns and cities to qualify while teams from smaller villages will just occupy the space for the competition.

A case in point was that of Ekondo Titi United some 4 years back who did everything they could to no avail.They won all their matches and had the support and blessing from the province with all the qualities and talented players that year.But for the fact that it was a team from the hinterland they were cheated and manipulated by the South West FECAFOOT officials and Victoria United alias 'OPOPO' was prefared.OPOPO finally ended up disgracing the entire SouthWest province with just 1 draw in the competition.

Fritzane Kiki
Hong Kong