Elite One Cameroon Football League is the leading football tournament in Cameroon, a country located in West Africa. With the participation of the country’s top football clubs, this tournament has attracted the attention of many football fans around the world. In this article, 2019 Southeast Asian Games will learn about the Elite One Cameroon football tournament, from its history to the latest information about this tournament.
What is Elite One Cameroon Football League?
Elite One Cameroon is the official name of the top football tournament in Cameroon. This tournament is organized by the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and was established in 1961. Since its inception, this tournament has become a playground for young football talents in Cameroon, and also is a place for domestic football clubs to compete and assert their position.
The Elite One Cameroon football tournament is held annually, from February to November. To date, the tournament has gone through 60 seasons and has the participation of 18 top football clubs in Cameroon. The championship team of the tournament will participate in the African Cup Winners’ Cup (CAF Champions League), while the runner-up team will participate in the African Cup Winners’ Cup (CAF Confederation Cup).
History of formation and development of Elite One Cameroon football tournament
The Elite One Cameroon Football League was established in 1961, with the birth of the Cameroon Football Federation. However, in 1979, this tournament was officially renamed “Elite One Cameroon”. In its first years, the tournament only involved football clubs from the cities of Douala and Yaounde.
Since 1980, the tournament has expanded to include football clubs from other cities such as Bafoussam, Bamenda and Garoua. However, by 1992, the tournament was narrowed again with only 14 clubs participating. This lasted until 2001, when the tournament officially expanded again to include the participation of 18 clubs.
Throughout its development, the Elite One Cameroon football tournament has encountered many challenges and difficulties. However, with the efforts of the Cameroon Football Federation and the clubs, the tournament has increasingly improved its quality and attracted the attention of many football fans.
Form of participation in the Elite One Cameroon football tournament
To participate in the Championnat du Cameroun de football football tournament, football clubs need to meet the following requirements:
Have enough economic, material and human resources to participate in the tournament.
There is a stadium that meets FECAFOOT standards.
There is a reserve youth football team to participate in the First Division tournament (Elite Two Cameroon).
Clubs must also comply with FECAFOOT’s rules and regulations throughout their participation in the tournament. If violated, clubs can be fined or even eliminated from the tournament.
Elite One Cameroon soccer tournament rankings
Currently, the Elite One Cameroon football tournament is in the middle of the 2022-2023 season. However, we can take a look at this tournament’s rankings from the 2018-2019 season for reference.
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Top teams of Elite One Cameroon football league
- UMS de Loum : Established in 2005, UMS de Loum is one of the leading teams in the Championnat du Cameroun de football football league. This team has won two national championships in 2017 and 2019.
- Eding Sport FC : Founded in 2008, Eding Sport FC became the team that won the Elite One Cameroon football tournament in 2017. This is also one of the teams with impressive achievements in this tournament.
- PWD Bamenda : Founded in 1959, PWD Bamenda is one of the football teams with the longest history in Cameroon. This team won the Elite One Cameroon football championship in 2019.
- APEJES Academy : Established in 2004, APEJES Academy is one of the promising young teams of the Elite One Cameroon football tournament. This team won the championship in 2016 and finished third in 2018.
- Stade Renard de Melong : Founded in 1992, Stade Renard de Melong is one of the football teams with a long history in Cameroon. This team won the championship in 2018 and finished third in 2017.
Best player of the Elite One Cameroon football tournament
- Junior Rostand Mbai (UMS de Loum) : This Cameroonian player won the Elite One Cameroon Football League Player of the Year award in 2017 while playing for Eding Sport FC. He also won the top scorer award with 15 goals that season.
- Serge Andoulo (APEJES Academy) : This Cameroonian player won the Championnat du Cameroun de football football tournament’s Best Player award in 2018 while playing for APEJES Academy. He also won the top scorer award with 15 goals that season.
- Leon Boyomo (UMS de Loum) : This Cameroonian player won the Championnat du Cameroun de football football tournament’s Best Player award in 2019 while playing for UMS de Loum. He also won the top scorer award with 14 goals that season.
Best coach of the Elite One Cameroon football tournament
- Emmanuel Ndoumbe Bosso (Stade Renard de Melong) : He is the coach of Stade Renard de Melong and won the Championnat du Cameroun de football football championship in 2018. He also won the Best Coach award in 2018. in 2017 when he led the APEJES Academy football team.
- Martin Ndtoungou Mpile (UMS de Loum) : He is the coach of UMS de Loum and won the Elite One Cameroon football championship in 2017 and 2019. He also won the Best Coach award in year 2019.
- Jean Baptiste Toguem (APEJES Academy) : He is the coach of APEJES Academy and won the Championnat du Cameroun de football football championship in 2016. He also won the Best Coach award in 2018.
Memorable records of the Elite One Cameroon football tournament
- The UMS de Loum football team is the only team in tournament history to win two consecutive championships in 2017 and 2019.
- Junior player Rostand Mbai is the only player in the history of the tournament to win the Best Player and Top Scorer awards in the same season (2017).
- Coach Martin Ndtoungou Mpile is the only coach in the history of the tournament to win two consecutive Best Coach awards in 2018 and 2019.
- The PWD Bamenda team is the newest team in the tournament’s history to win the championship in 2019.
- Coton Sport FC is the only team in the history of the league to have never been relegated since the league was founded in 1961.
Conclude
Elite One Cameroon Football Tournament is the top tournament of Cameroonian football, attracting the attention of many fans and talented players. From the early days of its establishment until now, the tournament has grown dramatically and become one of the most prestigious football tournaments in Africa. Memorable records and achievements of teams, players and coaches have contributed to the appeal and competitiveness of this tournament. Let’s look forward to exciting matches and new records in the next season of the Elite One Cameroon football tournament.