Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s

A tribute to President Seidou Mbombo Njoya, President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), 2018–2021

Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses have just made history. They have finally won the Africa Cup of Nations — the very first in our history — after dozen hard-fought campaigns and four finals that ended in heartbreak. As we celebrate this act of bravery, which restores a precious flicker of hope to a Cameroonian after nearly a decade without winning a continental football, I choose today to pause for a moment. I choose to pay heartfelt tribute to a man, a builder who worked in the shadows, and who is himself the true architect of this fine victory. A triumph so characteristic of our Indomitable Lions: roaring in the most beautiful way, where they are least expected to. After all, nothing commands us.

A meeting of visionaries

Let's turn back the clock. February 2020. I had just arrived at Guinness Cameroon. One of the very first meetings I was invited to, marked a decisive encounter with the Cameroon Football Federation. Around the table: the officials of Guinness Cameroon and, on the FECAFOOT side, President Seidou Mbombo Njoya, accompanied by the vice-president in charge of marketing, the Honorable Joshua Osih.

In the practice of sponsorship, in Cameroon as elsewhere, tradition holds that project sponsors approach companies with a cold request for support, most often broken down into standard "packages." But President Seidou had a radically different approach. He had the approach of a visionary.

Instead of selling us advertising space, he made us dream. He laid out a lucid and passionate assessment of women's football in Africa, before bringing it back to the Cameroonian context to draw out its true, until-then untapped potential. He closed his case with these words, which still resonate today:

"We are looking for a partner with whom we will win the Africa Cup of Nations within 5 years, and the World Cup by 2030. Guinness can make that possible."

What boldness! What a visionary!

From utopia to reality: the birth of a league

And so, on November 13, 2020, what still seemed like nothing more than a utopian rumor became official. In the buzz of the VIP lounge of the Reunification Stadium in Douala, at 4 : 17 PM, in presence of the city's authorities, the press, and the passionate stakeholders of women's football, the partnership was sealed. From 2020 to 2026, the #GuinnessSuperLeague has existed for exactly five seasons, transforming the landscape of our sport forever.

President Seidou knew full well that he would not preside over the fate of FECAFOOT until 2030, but that clear-sightedness never stopped him from dreaming big for his country. A dream that began to take shape through a long-term contract, designed to make the local championship the principal reservoir for our women's national teams.

Today, this league has established itself as the main supplier for every campaign of Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses, whether the U17, U20, or the senior side. Eight of the eleven starting players on the field are pure products of the Guinness Super League. These are athletes who play regularly, within a competitive championship that has never known an interruption — contrary to what is too often seen in our part of the world.

The courage of consistency

In a context like Cameroon's, companies capable of signing a sponsorship contract of more than a year are extremely rare. We still remember the setbacks a telecommunications company faced over the renewal of its commitment to a sister championship. By securing the Guinness Super League over five years — after a first trial season whose exceptional results had swept aside all the sponsor's expectations — President Seidou bet on stability and consistency. Those two pillars sat at the very heart of his vision: win the Africa Cup, then conquer the world. A promise he never stopped repeating before the press.

Today, this resounding victory of our Lionesses is the sublime reminder of that timeless adage: he who wishes to go far spares his mount. By betting on the professionalization of local football, President Seidou was wagering on the long term, refusing to throw dust in people's eyes and choosing instead to build on rock.

Today, the fruit has kept the promise of the blossom.

Hats off, Mr. President.

Bravo to our Lionesses.

And bravo to the Guinness brand for making this dream come true.

Mathias Nana,

Project Manager of the Guinness Super League, 2020–2022