Stade Olembé faces CFA50bn fallout after Cameroon ruling

Cameroon now faces a major financial and reputational burden linked to Stade Olembé after an international arbitration tribunal ruled against the state in its dispute with Italian group Piccini. The decision puts fresh scrutiny on the management and legacy of one of the country’s main football venues, while Yaoundé’s planned challenge has limited scope to reopen the case.

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ordered Cameroon to pay slightly more than CFA50 billion, almost seven years after Piccini was removed from the project in 2019. The tribunal found that the company had been unlawfully expropriated and denied fair and equitable treatment. About CFA17 billion covers material losses, including equipment left at the stadium, while CFA35 billion relates to legal costs accumulated during the dispute.

Cameroonian authorities intend to seek annulment before the same institution and may pursue other avenues. However, the Washington Convention does not provide a conventional appeal on the substance of a decision. Available procedures are restricted to matters such as correcting errors, clarifying the award, reviewing a decisive new fact or annulment for serious procedural failures.

Olembé was inaugurated for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted matches during the tournament and remains a venue for Cameroon’s national team. The ruling adds a costly legal chapter to its history and underlines the risks surrounding the planning, contracting and oversight of major football infrastructure projects.