Would it make much of a difference if I confessed here that I am not particularly amused by the newer hat Roger Milla has been made to wear ? Honorary President of FECAFOOT, after Ambassador-at-large where he has been subjected to ridicule ; ignored and plainly mocked by the likes of Bidoung, Mbarga Mboa and their ilk ; the butt of jokes and sneers. Why is it that a decent man, admittedly a little vain, is thrown into a snake pit and no public outcry is to be heard as our only national icon is left there to hang? Milla has no business being put on the spot like he has been. Mr. Iya, of all people, should know better.
I must admit, I have a soft spot for Roger Milla. After all, we hit 16 the same year. I have seen Milla at 16 with a football and I still believe, after all these years, that who has never seen Milla on a football pitch at 16 has seen nothing. I confess I am still in awe as memories of grace, scintillating skills and generosity flash across my mind. Milla is a class by himself. He still is the most recognizable and bankable figure in Cameroon football. We should therefore be protecting him, cajoling him even and preventing him from getting into no-win situations.
The problem here is that the very people who should be caring for this national symbol are the ones who spur Milla on, making him believe that he is as good in this capacity as he was on a football pitch. That is despicable. He is not. The game Mr. Iya and Mr. Edjoa are playing is not Milla’s game; he does not belong there. Is there a sensible soul out there who truly believes that Milla, how candid he may be, is likely to engineer any consensus between the MINSEP and the FECAFOOT while he is wearing the Honorary President hat?
Does Mr. Iya believe Milla is up to it? Would he really want Milla to succeed? I think he does not care one way or the other. Milla, as a pawn in the hands of scheming Mr. Iya, is a glorified errand boy. When he fouls up, which we all know will happen, he will be the ideal whipping boy, leaving wily Mr. Iya unscathed.
By nature or by design, Mr Iya is loath to confront Mr. Edjoa heads on. Cowardly Mr. Edjoa, who knows he is nothing without the unflinching backing of the Presidency, just looks on. He knows he is in command, as he must have sensed that, by throwing Milla into the fray, Mr. Iya has confirmed his inability to go on the offensive.
Should we remind Mr. Iya that his job as President of FECAFOOT is hard and that the world of modern football is an elbows-up environment? If he cannot stand the heat, would he please calmly get out of the kitchen and leave Milla out of all this?
