Algeria accept Cameroon compensation

Algeria have dropped their case against Cameroon after accepting 400,000 euros in damages for a failed international friendly.

After initially rejecting the settlement brokered by CAF president Issa Hayatou, the Algeria Football Federation (FAF) on Saturday announced it had a change of heart.

In accepting the sum to repair damages and put its “differences with Cameroon behind and focus on the future”, Algeria said the row between the FAs of both countries was now over.

It was triggered by the Indomitable Lions’ boycott of a November 15 friendly in Algiers.

The FAF had demanded 800,000 euros in a case lodged with FIFA against the Cameroon football federation (Fecafoot), prompting Hayatou to open talks with Algerian officials.

“The office of the Algeria Football Federation, although considering that the moral and sporting damage caused still remains, accepted the proposal of Fecafoot to pay about 250 million cfa francs (400,000 euros) in damages due to its national team’s failure to travel to Algeria to play a scheduled friendly,” a statement released by the FAF said.

The document also stated that the Cameroonian party would pay the amount according to a schedule which runs until next March.

After winning the LG Cup in Morocco early last month, Cameroon players staged a strike to protest against the non-payment of bonuses, and refused to fly to Algiers for the friendly.

Captain Samuel Eto’o was banned for 15 matches after a disciplinary hearing in Yaounde on December 12. Vice-captain Enoh Eyong was handed a two-match suspension.

Eto’o has said he would not appeal the decision, while Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic saluted the sanctions with great satisfaction.