By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Team players who register victories in eligible matches in the Cameroon Professional Women’s League, dubbed the Guinness Super League, will in the days ahead each receive direct financial rewards of 25,000 FCFA in their mobile money accounts.
The move follows a convention called “Locker Room Bonus” signed between the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and betting company betPawa on Friday in Yaounde.
In the presence of Samuel Eto’o, President of FECAFOOT, and Thomas Nsongka, Director General of betPawa Cameroon, Borah Omary Ndanyungu signed on behalf of her company. Celine Eko, President of the Women’s Football League, signed for the federation. Omary Ndanyungu is the head of local marketing and corporate social responsibility for Africa at betPawa.
According to the convention, betPawa is launching a 75.9 million FCFA “Locker Room Bonus” as players on winning teams in eligible matches will receive direct financial rewards of 25,000 FCFA per player. The initiative is part of the company’s broader commitment to player welfare and sports development across Africa.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Omary Ndanyungu stressed that at betPawa, “we believe that real sports development starts with players. That is why we created Locker Room Bonus initiative, a programme that puts money directly to players into their pockets, that is mobile money accounts to all the athletes whenever they win a game at the pitch.”
She also said, “I know we are launching today, but this is going to involve all the games that have been played before and the ones that are coming. This is not just a bonus, it is recognition, motivation, tangible support for the league.”
Omary Ndanyungu added, “This is not just something that we are doing for the league only, but for the players making sure that they are motivated to always wake up, go to train and go to play knowing that whenever they play and win a game, there will always be money in their account.”
“This is not a short-term initiative, it’s a long-term initiative whereby we are starting now and we are hoping to continue supporting the women’s leagues for even the years that are coming ahead,” she said.
To her, this sponsorship goes beyond financial rewards, speaking to betPawa’s deeper commitment to the professionalism of the women’s football league in Cameroon, the welfare and financial empowerment of female athletes, and the long-term growth and sustainability of the FECAFOOT women’s league.
“We are not just sponsors, we are partners in building a stronger, more rewarding environment for Cameroon’s women footballers. The same way we are proud to support the men’s and women’s league in the basketball league through our partnership with FECABASKET,” she added.
Eto’o, the former Cameroon and Barcelona star, hailed betPawa, stating that what they have agreed to do goes beyond football given that there is a need to protect young players.
“Thank you very much. We have the duty to protect our young people, our players, the possibility to play football. We have the duty to protect them in our society that sometimes makes them vulnerable. And what you have agreed to do through your company goes beyond football,” Eto’o said.
Nsongka thanked FECAFOOT for accepting the initiative, noting that many federations do not accept that players should be paid directly into their accounts. He said this is a “very small token we are starting with and we are hoping that with the growth we are hoping to have by next year we will do even bigger things with the federation.”
Through Eko, the women’s league expressed profound gratitude to betPawa, indicating that the initiative is coming to add more performance to the women’s league.
In addition to the women’s professional football league, betPawa is supporting the Cameroon men’s and women’s basketball leagues through its partnership with FECABASKET. betPawa has supported the men’s and women’s basketball leagues for two seasons. The Locker Room Bonus initiative is already active in 10 African countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya.
