Cameroon’s World Cup team refused to board a plane due to take them to Brazil on Sunday because of a long-running dispute over bonus payments for the tournament, forcing their national federation to take out a loan to meet their demands.
In a statement, the Cameroon Football Federation said it ”regrets to announce” that the squad’s departure from Yaounde on a plane put aside for its use had been delayed. The federation said it had taken out a ”private loan” to meet player demands, and would now increase the sum given to each squad member by around $12,000. The total bonus was not disclosed.
Cameroon team spokesman Raphael Nkoa had told The Associated Press that a ”certain number of issues” had to be resolved and the squad did not depart as planned on Sunday morning. They would fly later Sunday, Nkoa and the federation insisted.
World body FIFA also said it had been given assurances that the Cameroon party would leave Yaounde on Sunday night and arrive in Brazil on Monday, just four days ahead of the team’s World Cup opener against Mexico on Friday.
”FIFA has assurances that the Cameroon team will fly tonight,” the world body said on Sunday. AP
