INTRODUCTION
Football Academy is the place where young footballers go to learn the right techniques and tactics to prepare them for a professional career in the sport. Most young people enroll in a Football Academy for one basic reason: to learn how to become world-class professional footballers.
So it is important to ensure that in registering a football academy in Cameroon cardinal purpose should be fulfilled. An academy is a school, a place of learning, glooming, and developing future footballers and like every institution of learning, there should be a minimum standard every academy should meet for accreditation and approval.
REQUIREMENT FOR FOOTBALL ACADEMY REGISTRATION IN CAMEROON
The Law regulating the creation of a football academy in Cameroon is Law No. 90-053 of 19 December 1990 on the Freedom of Association. Registering a football academy in Cameroon goes through an administrative procedure, a technical procedure, and lastly the source of income guarantee.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE PART TO REGISTER A FOOTBALL ACADEMY IN CAMEROON
The administrative requirement for football academy registration in Cameroon focuses on the compilation of documents at the sub-divisional level, divisional level, and at FECAFOOT. This process takes quite some time enough reason why the law is flexible by allowing intending academy owners to operate their academy provided they have engaged in the process to secure authorization. Here are some of the documents required to register for a football academy in Cameroon.
- Application for the creation of a Football Academy.
- Copy of Internal Rules / Regulations of the Academy.
- The Status /Bye-laws of the Academy.
- Names of the Academy Executives/Function /Profession
- Technical Staff /Coaching Staff of the Academy
- Minutes of the Annual General Assembly of the Academy.
- Localization plan of Academy training ground
- Morality certificate of the executive
TECHNICAL PART
In registering a football academy in Cameroon, the technical requirement for football academy registration in Cameroon which focuses on the category of footballer the academy intends to train must be specified e.g. starters ages 6 years – 9 years, Benjamin ages 12 years – 13 years, minim ages 14 years – 15 years, cadet ages 16years -17years, junior ages 18years -19years and seniors ages 20years and above. The Executive should have a well-leveled grass pitch for training, balls, shin guard, captain band, warm-up jacket, training jersey, stopwatch, branded bibs, Cones, Swipes, dummies for practice, magnetic board coloured cock for indoor classes.
SOURCE OF INCOME
The source of income requirement for football academy registration in Cameroon requires the executive to be precise on their source of income to fund the project.
I know nobody really clamps down on the numerous sub-standard and unregistered amateur clubs that go by the name of a football academy, but if you operate an unregistered Academy you may not have the legal right to claim your players or offer a mandate to allow a player’s agent seek transfer of your player to a professional club.
In the case where your player is transferred, especially to clubs abroad, you may not be able to claim his or her training compensation legally, even when the player completed your academy membership form or had some sort of agreement with the academy. It is usually a huge loose when your academy is denied training compensation for your player transferred abroad, which is usually between 25 and 15% of the player’s sign-on fee.
To conclude football is one of the most lucrative sports worldwide and as such registering a football academy in Cameroon exposed the executive to the international partnership. Sports lawyers also play a great role in negotiating football contracts.
Article by Mr. Ngando peter Ewumbua
National 1st Vice President of Cameroon Football Referees
President Legend Football Academy
in Collaboration with
“The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstance”