NARCISSE MOUELLE KOMBI: THE GRAVEDIGGER OF THE INDOMITABLE LIONS
Just days before the decisive Cameroon–DRC match, the Indomitable Lions’ camp is rocked by a financial scandal splashing across the Ministry of Sports. Unpaid bonuses, missing funds, and ministerial arrogance have made Narcisse Mouelle Kombi the symbol of a disconnected, incompetent, and contemptuous government.
When the State Betrays Its Lions
Cameroon doesn’t only have a problem with results, it has a problem with leadership. And at the heart of this orchestrated collapse stands one name: Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Minister of Sports and Physical Education.
For months, his management of the Indomitable Lions has resembled a parody of bad governance. But this time, the cup has overflowed: the players’ match bonuses have vanished.
“The process is ongoing,” ministry officials defended themselves. A phrase that has become the symbol of their contempt.
Following the draw against Angola, players and staff expected to receive their bonuses, as stipulated by regulation. The Treasury released the funds. The Football Federation validated the budget. Yet two weeks later, no one received a single franc. The ministry remains silent, a silence that is heavy, guilty, and disgraceful.
100 Million FCFA Gone: The Shame of the Ministry
Numbers don’t lie. 26 players, 24 staff members. A 2 million FCFA bonus per player for a draw, double that for the coach. Total: nearly 100 million FCFA. A precise, approved, and budgeted amount is now gone without a trace.
“The money was used for other purposes,” confides an internal ministry source.
In other words, a pure and simple embezzlement. An institutional heist, right in the middle of World Cup preparations. While the Lions sweat, their leaders plunder. While the people hope, the minister cashes in.
A Minister Out of His Depth and Out of Touch
This scandal isn’t an accident; it’s the logical result of a rotten system, maintained by a minister more concerned with his image than with his duty.
For over a year, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi has illegally reclaimed control of the Indomitable Lions in direct violation of the 2014 presidential decrees.
The result: chaos, confusion, inflated invoices, and a toxic atmosphere.
“This isn’t management, it’s organized predation,” says a disgusted ministry official.
As delegations grow larger, hotel bills skyrocket, and bureaucracy expands, the players wait for their bonuses while the national coffers run dry. The logic is simple: the more opacity, the more money can be stolen.
Sabotaging the Indomitable Lions
Coach Marc Brys is also awaiting his 2 million FCFA bonus. Frustrated, he reportedly decided to freeze the publication of his player list until his dues are paid. And he’s right, how can one motivate men who are being humiliated? How can you expect victory when your own ministry behaves like a saboteur?
The camp is angry. Players no longer hide their discontent. In Rabat, where the next training session is set to begin, the atmosphere promises to be electric. Because this is no longer about money, it’s about respect, trust, and national dignity.
The Symbol of a Sick Nation
The Mouelle Kombi affair goes far beyond sports. It epitomizes Cameroon’s deepest disease: state lies, arrogant corruption, and the impunity of the powerful.
Each scandal like this pushes the nation further away from merit, performance, and pride. And each silence from those in power becomes a form of complicity.
“Cameroon is not poor, it is impoverished by incompetence.”
A painful truth in a country where heroes are humiliated while the inept thrive.
Conclusion: Enough Mediocrity
Narcisse Mouelle Kombi has betrayed the trust of both the people and the players. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Sports has become a hotbed of predators and a hub of incompetence.
At this point, it’s no longer a sports issue but a moral and patriotic one. Cameroon deserves better than this minister. The Indomitable Lions deserve better than this contempt. And the people deserve answers.
Because when a minister steals from those who defend the national colors, he’s not betraying a team, he’s betraying the entire nation.
