Cameroon's history of football kit controversies Whether it's offending FIFA or being taken to court by their sponsors, Cameroon is second to none
For some international teams, the strip they wear is like a badge of honour, recognised around the world as a marker of class and quality. Brazil are unmistakable in their yellow and green shirts, blue shorts and white socks. Made famous by the likes of Garrincha, Pele and Carlos Alberto before Ronaldo and Ronaldinho had their turn in it, Brazil’s kit carries a weight of expectation. After all, they didn’t earn those five stars above the crest for nothing. Or take the Netherlands in their standout Oranje kits. Johan Cruyff and total football helped build the reputation, as did the colour’s rarity in international football.
Blatter’s remarks came before the African Cup of Nations had been played, so FIFA’s stance was quite clear, though Cameroon decided to use the kit in the tournament anyway. They made it to the quarter finals, where they were beaten by Nigeria. FIFA fined them $154,000 for their insubordination and docked them six points for their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. Puma filed a lawsuit in response stating that FIFA had never told them they could not produce the kit in advance, and there was obviously enough truth in the claims to make Blatter and his cronies back down. Both the fine and the penalty were withdrawn.
From then until the end of the contract in 2019, Puma kept Cameroon’s wardrobe relatively simple. Technical sponsors for a period in the 80s, Le Coq Sportif returned and they too produced some perfectly respectable gear for the team, but FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto’o wasn’t happy with how things were going. He unilaterally cancelled the deal in June 2022, alleging that the French brand was not meeting contractual obligations, something they vehemently denied. Talks between the two failed to sort things out, so while Le Coq Sportif took things to court, FECAFOOT signed a deal with motorsports apparel manufacturer One All Sports. Just a few short months before the Qatar World Cup was due to kick off, Eto’o had ditched a historical brand who had already prepared everything for the tournament in favour of an unknown company who had no experience in producing football shirts. They now had about twelve weeks to come up with enough clothing for the whole Cameroon squad, staff and entourage, not to mention the replica jerseys and merchandise for fans at home who wanted to cheer on their country.
One All Sports revealed the new kits on November 5th to a largely underwhelmed response and doubts about their quality. Two days prior to this, a French court had ruled that the contract between Le Coq Sportif and FECAFOOT was still valid and must be seen out til its expiry on December 31st, 2023. Just as they demonstrated in 2002 and 2004, defying authority is something of a strong suit for the Cameroonians, and they never for a second looked like blinking in this face-off with Le Coq Sportif. It was the French who finally gave in. They won their court case, but preferring to avoid more lengthy legal proceedings, they grudgingly accepted defeat and FECAFOOT’s refusal to comply. As such, One All Sports made their World Cup debut on Thursday against Switzerland. Cameroon’s dogged insistence on having things their own way certainly lives up to their Indomitable Lions nickname, but they’d prefer the lasting memory of this World Cup to be their performances on the pitch, rather than what they chose to wear for the occasion.
