The 2026 Champions Trophy match between Colombe Sportive du Dja et Lobo and Panthère du Ndé was marred by a major incident this Thursday at the military stadium in Yaoundé. The match was halted following a series of disputed refereeing decisions, leading to the anger and withdrawal of the Colombe Sportive team.
Referee Biel Kolondo awarded a penalty to Panthère du Ndé in the 64th minute, following an alleged foul by Cédric Djomo on an opposing player. Richard Towa, coach of Colombe, then asked his players to leave the field in protest. After a long interruption, the team returned to the field, but captain Randy was sent off after consultation with the refereeing body. This expulsion was the breaking point for Colombe Sportive, whose players definitively left the field, leading to the match being stopped.
This scene brought back memories of the 2025 AFCON final, where Senegal briefly left the field before returning thanks to the intervention of Sadio Mané. However, there was no similar figure to convince Colombe to reverse its decision.
The incident sparked strong reactions, especially on social media, where the image of Cameroonian football was tarnished. Colombe Sportive and its coach, Richard Towa, now face heavy sanctions from the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT).
FECAFOOT has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident and the potential measures that could be taken. The outcome of the match and the consequences for both teams remain uncertain.
