Celebrations In Bamenda As The Indomitable Lions Of Cameroon Bow To The Supper Eagles Of Nigeria In The Ongoing Afcon In Egypt

Some Cameroonians living in Bamenda, chief town of the North West region of Cameroon have been in a festive mood following the elimination of the Indomitable Lions Of Cameroon by the Supper  Eagles Of Nigeria from the 2019 AFCON currently taking place in Egypt,Saturday 6th July 2019.

      When Nigeria opened score in the first half of the game, if was as if it was Cameroon that had scored given that many neighborhoods in Nkwen-Bamenda have just a small Nigerian population as compared to the noise that accompanied the celebrations. Disappointment could be seen writen all over their faces when Cameroon came from behind and was leading Nigeria by 2 goals to 1.The coming of the second and third goal for team Nigeria rejuvenated the joy in them.

         According to Madam Ndip, a resident of the Ndamukong neighborhood in Bamenda, she did not have any reason supporting the indomitable lions of Cameroon and is very happy to see the coming back home. ‘‘Why should I support the indomitable lions of Cameroon, people who are given millions of francs CFA and they rejected asking for more? Why should I even support a country that has put me in a lot of pain? I now beg a place to sleep because my home was burnt down in my village. Thanks to Yahweh they are back. I am very happy, may be some attention will now be given to the crises rocking the two English speaking regions of the country.’’ 

       Chia Nico used to be a fan of the indomitable lions of Cameroon but not anymore. He says a country that thinks it can always use football to cover up the pains and sufferings of the people is doomed. ‘‘You cannot imagine that, despite the pain those in the North West and South West regions of the country are going through, some people still  think football should be their number one priority. God is not stupid. People cannot be dying every day in the Anglophone regions of the country, very little or nothing is being done to fix things, yet we think we can capitalize on football to pretend to the world that all is well. I want to thank God for using Nigeria to say no to that.’’

        Among those who also watched the match was Ndifor, a teacher by profession. According to him, education is far more important than Cameroon’s participation in the ongoing AFCON in Eygpt.‘‘Children in the two English speaking regions of the country have been out of school for 3 years now, yet all the regime thinks is how comfortable the players will be in Egypt after wasting millions of francs on them, money we would have used for important things like Education, Health, Electricity, Portable Water and many others. Thanks to God for disgracing them, I am a happy man.’’

        Kenfack watched the match at a travel agency which also operates a drinking sport at the mile 2 neighborhood in Bamenda. His worry is about the behavior of the players themselves as far as happenings in the country as a whole are concerned.‘‘ Many bad things have happened and are still happening in Cameroon, yet the players behave as if nothing is happening. Look at Fai Collins, look at what is happening in his village in Bui, many have been killed, villages have been razed, yet he thinks he will just come play football and go, no way. His brothers and sisters from his village look at him with anger in their eyes, how can they bless him? Has he ever sympathized with his people, has he ever supported them with food, medicine, shelter or even a word of comfort? Then you expect me to support them as they play, God forbid. Let them come back and help in fixing the country’’.

   It should be noted that, Cameroon went to Egypt as defending champions. They won their fifth  AFCON Trophy in 2017 in Gabon and the team was one of the favorites but their hopes of retaining the trophy hit the rocks and scattered into pieces with the Supper Eagles of Nigeria as the author of their  exit from the tournament.