Promoting Competitive Football through Geodetection: Performance of Departments in Producing Talent in Cameroon

Abstract

Renewing competitiveness is a permanent challenge in football to ensure its survival, as the world quickly tires of the absence of magic or of the same champion winning every time. Football governing bodies around the world have therefore invested heavily in the detection and training of new talent according to a well- defined planning model. In Cameroon, we have seen a decline in the overall level of football through the absence of results for several years on the continental stage, whether by local clubs or the national team, and this can be explained by the absence of a clear planning policy with regard to the detection of new talent. In this context, the aim of our study was to map the performance of departments in terms of their development ecosystem in producing talent in order to revitalise football in Cameroon. The methodology used consisted of a weighted hierarchical analysis of the various criteria considered in the talent development ecosystem, including the concentration of young people in the departments, as well as the infrastructure, structures such as clubs and training centres that cater for them, and also their educational and health care. The data was collected and processed using appropriate geographic information science tools and software. The results revealed three categories of departmental performance, with only 4 of Cameroon's 58 departments performing very well, 18 performing moderately well in terms of producing talent for the development ecosystem and the rest not performing at all. With a view to planning detections throughout the country, these results are convincing and will enable FECAFOOT decision-makers to draw on clear studies to launch the new generation of Cameroonian football, and also to identify concrete areas for improvement in the less successful departments.