Milla wants Cameroon's football body sacked

Yaounde (Cameroon), April 20 (IANS) Afraid that four-time champions Cameroon may again fail to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations, legendary footballer Roger Milla has called for the sacking of the country's football federation (FECAFOOT) and demanded the reinstatement of Samuel Eto'o as the national captain.

Cameroon failed to qualify for this year's African Cup of Nations and Milla, who holds the record of the oldest player to play in a World Cup, feels that FECAFOOT is doing nothing for the Indomitable Lions, the nick-name of the national team.

Milla, 59, and some of his team mates have formed a new body better known by its French acronym COCIREFCA (Comite Citoyen pour le Redressement du Football Camerounais), to bring back the glory days of the Indomitable Lions.

"We have to put back our football on the rails, good footing, because what we are going through with the current FECAFOOT management team is unbelievable," Milla was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"Nobody seems worried as we move from failure to failure. This must end and things move forward. The current FECAFOOT management team has to go, and its president Iya Mohamed and his men must make way. Cameroon football can no longer be run by kidnappers!" said Milla, whose exploits in the 1990 World helped Cameroon qualify for the quarterfinals that remains their best ever performance in the mega event.

Milla also demanded that star Eto'o should immediately be re-appointed as the national captain. The striker was handed out a 15-match ban for his role in a players' strike last year.

Cameroon's former captain Emmanuel Mve Elemva also concurred with Milla said former footballers have now joined hands to fight against the current management of FECAFOOT.

"We have swallowed enough of this rubbish. That is why we are calling on Cameroonians of all walks of life to join hands with us to end the disaster... Our football can no longer be left in the hands of very selfish individuals only seeking to fill their private pockets," said Elemva.