Africa

4, December 2018

Africa Cup of Nations Mess: Why it is weeping for Cameroonian business people ⁰

Two major hotels in Yaoundé that were due to host some foreign delegations had gone into a loan agreement with the government and were already carrying out extension works for better accommodation

Jarvis Bisong, a hotel manager in Yaoundé, secured a loan from a micro finance institution and started renovating his hotel ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) football tournament.
He said the renovation works to cost $17,000 (Sh1.7 million) were supposed to end by February, 2019.

“I knew that during the Afcon from June to July, I will recover the money and pay back the loan, but now that we [Cameroon] will no longer host the tournament, I am just confused,” he said.

Many hotel managers are now found in the same type situation like Jarvis, following the announcement Friday by the Confederation of African Football (Caf), withdrawing the hosting rights of the 2019 Afcon tournament from Cameroon.

Two major hotels in Yaounde that were due to host some foreign delegations had gone into a loan agreement with the government and were already carrying out extension works for better accommodation.

They groan over the news of the withdrawal of the hosting rights expressing worries over the loans they were supposed to pay back after making some brisk business during the month-long soccer competition.

The local organizing committee of the competition had selected 21 hotels in the five host cities to accommodate teams and delegations.

The group phase of the competition was due to be staged in five cities, namely Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Garoua and Limbe.

Yaounde and Limbe both hosted the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

In the transport sector, proprietors of inter-city bus agencies claim they had made huge investments by importing brand new buses to expand their fleet.

the Caf decision, they now weep that they will have to wait for two years to reap what they expected to recover in just a few months.

Stories abound of small and medium size enterprises, and catering services which will not go operational near the venues of the tournament due to the postponement.

According to senior analyst for Central Africa at International Crisis Group, Hans De Marie Heungoup, more than $1.1 billion (Sh110 billion) of investments had already been done in the country or scheduled in 2019.

One thing that was due to witness a hike in sales and consumption during the Afcon 2019 competition was supposed to beer as most Cameroonians cherish boozing which is indeed a way of life in Cameroon during such events.

Statistics by SABC, the Cameroon’s largest beer company, show that overall beer sales in Cameroon in 2015 are estimated at about 6,600,000 hl (660 million liters), including imports.

These figures were expected to see an increase next year with the organization of the Afcon.

The Tourism Industry in Cameroon was already envisaging a boom with thousands of visitors that were expected to come but it will not be the case again.

The number of visitors coming to Cameroon dropped since the outbreak of Boko Haram activities in the Northern part and with the recent separatist movement in the English speaking regions of the country.

The organization of the Afcon was going to change as thousands of visitors were expected to jet into the country for the football jamboree.

The African Cup of Nations is a big tournament which usually gives a boost to the economy of host countries.

Cameroon has lost this blessing which could have profited its limping economy.

Source: Daily Nation

4, December 2018

Biya and CPDM gang blamed for Africa Cup of Nations mess ⁰

There has been an outburst of reactions from football fans and analysts in Cameroon since the Confederation of African Football (Caf) officially announced it has stripped the five times African champions of the hosting rights for the 2019 African Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Caf said on Friday that Cameroon has not met a number compliance conditions and could not host he tournament.

While some fans suspect that some North African countries that were interested in hosting the tournament played behind the scenes to deprive Cameroon of the hosting right, others blame the lackluster attitude at which the government has been preparing for the game.

“The Caf decision is not a surprise as Morocco has been scheming to ensure the hosting rights are withdrawn from Cameroon in their favour,” said Ernest Nfor, a football fan, in Yaounde.

Yet, sports analyst Francis Ajumane said he saw it coming from the various Caf inspection missions that came to Cameroon. “Anthony Baffoe, Amaju Pinnick and Daany Jordan were in Cameroon months ago and I could tell from their body language all was not well despite their assurances to the press,” Ajumane said.

“It became evident when Caf postponed its decision back at the end of September due to Cameroon’s Presidential election.”

Ajumane admits that Cameroon was lagging behind in terms of construction at the various sites and tried to use diplomacy by bringing the Caf president to the country; which diplomacy apparently failed.

Sports journalist and editor-in-chief of This is Sports magazine, Franklin Sone Bayen said the socio-political climate in Cameroon is not conducive enough for the continental soccer jamboree to be staged.

“The Afcon withdrawal is shocking without measure for socio-political and socioeconomic reasons, though it should have been expected because Cameroon was falling short in infrastructure, and the sociopolitical climate is not conducive,” he said.

“It is a big blow to football fans though opponents of the president are happy because they consider that Afcon would have distracted attention from the Anglophone crisis and acrimony from recent electoral flaws,” Bayen said further.

Source: Daily Nation

2, December 2018

CAF president offers Biya regime chance to host 2021 Nations Cup ⁰

Just a few hours after stripping Cameroon of the rights to host the 2019 African Nations Cup, CAF president Ahmad Ahmad wrote to the country’s president Paul Biya proposing that it hosts the 2021 edition, Cameroonian media outlets reported on Saturday.

The CAF executive committee snubbed Cameroon on Friday, citing serious delays with its preparations in the midst of a violent separatist rebellion near two of the venues that are set to host the Nations Cup games.

“I would like, Mister President, to assure you, that seeing the efforts that you have already accomplished and in light of the importance of your personnel implication, CAF and its executive committee would be honored if Cameroon accepts to host the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations,” Ahmad reportedly said in a letter addressed to Biya and that was published by several Cameroonian media outlets.

The CAF chief also added that he believes that the 2021 tournament will allow Cameroon to “complete in comfort and safety, all the projects planned for this event.”

This offer comes as a consolation for the country that was stunned by the CAF decision, especially after Ahmad’s visit to Cameroon in October where he told Biya in front of reporters that “CAF has no Plan B, nor have we ever considered taking the Nations Cup away from Cameroon.”

The tournament is set to start in June. CAF have announced that a new bidding process will be opened and countries have until the end of December to submit bids.

Source: ahramonline

1, December 2018

Merci Beaucoup President Ahmad ⁰

Cameroon has been stripped of the right to stage the 2019 African Nations Cup finals, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Friday. CAF confirmed the unanimous decision after a meeting of its executive committee in Accra. Morocco is the favourite to take over the hosting of the expanded 24-team tournament, which is being held from June 15-July 13.

The new host is expected to be named before the end of the year, a CAF executive committee member told Reuters. Cameroon’s ability to host the finals was first questioned when CAF announced in July last year that the tournament would have eight additional teams and only countries capable of putting on world-class tournament, with complete facilities and extensive infrastructure would be allowed to stage the event.

Morocco immediately said it was ready to replace Cameroon, beginning more than a year of claims and counter-claims that CAF intended taking the tournament away from Cameroon and giving it to the north African country.

CAF sent several inspection teams to Cameroon to check on the progress of the construction of five stadiums proposed for the tournament.

When CAF president Ahmad went to Cameroon in October he told the country’s President Paul Biya in front of assembled reporters: “CAF has no Plan B, nor have we ever considered taking the Nations Cup away from Cameroon.”

But last week he criticised Cameroon’s inability to regularise the affairs of its football federation, which has been under the control of a normalisation committee for more than a year while it struggles to adopt a new constitution and elect a new executive.

Next year’s Nations Cup will be the first moved to mid-year to end a long-standing clash between clubs and countries over the release of their players.

It will be the fourth successive Nations Cup to have a change of host. The 2013 finals were to be held in Libya but the security situation there meant they were moved to South Africa.

In 2015 Morocco had the hosting rights taken away after they expressed fears that travelling fans might bring in the Ebola virus and Equatorial Guinea stepped in with just six months to prepare.

The 2017 finals were originally due to be held in South Africa, but they had swapped with Libya, which was then also unable to host and Gabon took over.

Reuters

30, November 2018

Accra: Cameroon stripped off Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights ⁰

Reports indicate that Cameroon have been stripped off the rights to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The hosting of the Afcon was part of the agenda in the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting held in Accra, Ghana on November 30.

Two reports that were central to the final decision regarding Cameroon were to be tabled namely; report of inspection visits of the security committee from October 27 to November 1 as well as a report of the inspection visit from November 11-15.

In October, Caf President Ahmad Ahmad visited Yaounde for a meeting with Cameroon President Paul Biya just days after Caf deferred the final decision on the hosting of next year’s Afcon.

At that time, a report by the last inspection team to Cameroon revealed “a significant delay as far as the delivery of infrastructure is concerned.”

Cameroon’s hosting of African football’s showpiece event has been in jeopardy for months since the decision to increase the tournament from 16 to 24 teams.

Caf will now give a one month window where countries interested in hosting the tournament will submit their official bids.

Morocco, who unsuccessfully bid for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, are likely to replace Cameroon as hosts. South Africa, hosts of the 2010 World Cup, could also be considered.

This will be the second time in recent times that Caf has stripped a country of hosting rights of a continental tourney. Kenya was declared unfit to host the Africa Nations Championships (Chan) in January this year. Morocco replaced Kenya as hosts.

Source: Daily Nation

30, November 2018

Africa Cup of Nations 2019: D-day for Biya regime ⁰

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will discuss Friday in Accra the staging of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations following reports that host nation Cameroon’s preparations were in difficulties. AFCON The executive committee meets in the Ghanaian capital Accra on the sidelines of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations tournament, an official of the Cairo-based told AFP.

A report of the last two inspection visits to central African state Cameroon will be made during the meeting. CAF inspectors recently travelled to the country, which last hosted the tournament in 1972, to check security, infrastructure, stadiums and accommodation. After the executive committee meeting, a decision whether Cameroon should continue as hosts of the June 15-July 13 African football showpiece is set to be made.

If Cameroon are rejected, CAF will have to launch a new application procedure to designate another host country for the biennial tournament first staged in Sudan 61 years ago. Morocco, who lost out to a United States/Mexico/Canada bid to host the 2026 World Cup, have regularly been reported as possible replacements for Cameroon. At a September executive committee meeting in Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, CAF noted “a significant delay in the realisation of the infrastructures” necessary for holding the Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

No plan B

However, CAF president Ahmad Ahmad declared the following month during a visit to Cameroon that his organisation “did not have a plan B. “CAF has never thought about withdrawing from the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon… it depends on Cameroon,” he stressed after talks with head of state Paul Biya. In Sharm el-Sheikh, Cameroon Football Federation head Happi Dieudonne assured executives that “Cameroon would be ready” to organise the Cup of Nations. Cameroon is experiencing a tense security situation with persistent attacks by Boko Haram jihadists in the north and a conflict between the army and separatists in the two English-speaking regions.

The 2019 Cup of Nations will be the first to feature 24 teams — up from 16 at the 2017 edition in Gabon. It will also be the first Cup of Nations played during June and July after the last CAF president, Issa Hayatou, refused to budge from the traditional January/February timetable. The January kick-off meant many Africans with clubs in the leading European leagues had to leave their clubs in the middle of the season for up to six weeks. Cameroon, as hosts, and 12 other countries, including record seven-time champions Egypt, have qualified for the 2019 tournament. The other 11 places will be decided during the final qualifiers in March.

www.vanguardngr.com

23, November 2018

Cameroon and Mali reach the Women’s Afcon semi-finals as hosts Ghana go out ⁰

Cameroon and Mali qualified for the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals from Group A on Friday as hosts Ghana were eliminated along with Algeria.

Ghana drew 1-1 with Cameroon in Accra but the point was not enough for the home favourites as Mali beat Algeria 3-2 in Cape Coast.

It means that both Cameroon and Mali have a chance to represent Africa at next year’s World Cup with the top three finishers in Ghana all qualifying for France 2019.

In Accra, Ghana played like the team that needed the win against Cameroon, keeping a lot of the possession – but the early chances were long range efforts that either went wide or over the bar.

Captain Elizabeth Addo, restored to the starting line-up, had a free-kick saved and then saw a decent strike from a narrow angle hit the post and go for a corner.

On the half-hour mark the hosts took the lead when a Portia Boakye free-kick from the left floated high into the area and Anette Ngo Ndom misjudged the flight of the ball which dropped behind her into an empty net.

Cameroon equalised shortly before half-time when Aboudi Onguene was fouled running down the left wing for a blatant penalty.

Captain Christine Manie rolled the ball to the left with Asantewaa, who replaced previous first choice Patricia Mantey, diving the other way.

With the score level at 1-1 in Accra, Ghana looked as though they would progress at the expense of Mali, but the Malians staged a dramatic fight-back after twice going behind to Algeria in Cape Coast.

Mali could have taken the lead themselves after 19 minutes when they were awarded a penalty but Bassira Toure’s effort was saved by Kahina Takenint.

Lydia Belkacemi then put Algeria ahead after 37 minutes, with Fatoumata Diarra hitting an equaliser for Mali in the second half.

Imene Merrouche restored Algeria’s lead from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute to make it 2-1 with Mali seemingly down and out.

But a dramatic goal from Aissatou Diadhiou seven minutes from time made it 2-2 to Mali – which meant Ghana needed to score again to avoid elimination.

Mali made sure of their place in the semi-finals with an injury-time winner, again from the spot, from Fatoumata Diarra – her second of the game.

On Saturday, the focus will be on Group B as holders Nigeria face former champions Equatorial Guinea, with Zambia up against South Africa in the other match.

All four sides have a chance to reach the semi-finals.

13, October 2018

AFCON 2019: Cameroon overcome Malawi in Yaounde ⁰

Cameroon secured a narrow 1-0 win over Malawi in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification Group B match at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé on Friday.

The victory saw the Indomitable Lions extend their lead at the top of the group standings, while the Flames remained third on the table.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were looking to return to winning ways in their qualifying campaign after drawing 1-1 with Comoros away last month.

While Malawi’s Flames were hoping to return to winning ways after losing 3-0 to Morocco away in their previous Group B encounter.

The hosts’ attack was led by Spain-based striker Karl Toko Ekambi, while Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was pulling the strings in midfield.

Malawi’s defence ,which was led by Stanley Sanudi, were able to contain the home side in the first half.

The score was 0-0 at the interval in Cameroon’s capital city.

The 2019 Afcon hosts Cameroon kept pushing for the opening goal after the restart and they managed to break the deadlock in the 61st minute.

France-based forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting beat Malawi goalkeeper Charles Swini to make it 1-0 to Cameroon.

The Flames tried to level matters with South Africa-based forward Frank Gabadinho Mhango leading their attack.

However, Cameroon stood firm at the back and they emerged 1-0 winners over Malawi on the day.

Cameroon (0) 1 (Choupo-Moting 61′)

Malawi (0) 0

TEAMS:

Cameroon XI: Onana, Onguene, Banana, Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Onyongo, Anguissa, Kunde, Choupo-Moting, Zoua, Toko Ekambi, Olinga.

Malawi XI: Swini, Sanudi, Lanjesi, Chembezi, Sambani, Chilopi, Banda, Chirwa, Linje, Yamikani Chester, Mhango.

Source: Super Sports

5, October 2018

CAF President: “It’s only Cameroon that can say tomorrow that ‘we are ready or give us more time we are not ready’ ⁰

The head of the African soccer confederation has expressed satisfaction with Cameroon’s preparations to host next year’s African Cup of Nations, a statement at odds with the body’s position last week when it declined to back the country.

Confederation of African Football president Ahmad said Tuesday on a visit to Cameroon that CAF had “never thought of” and “never considered” dropping Cameroon as host. “It is left to Cameroon to tell us,” said Ahmad, who is from Madagascar and goes by one name. “We are not the ones organizing (the competition). It is Cameroon that is hosting the competition.

“It’s only Cameroon that can say tomorrow that ‘we are ready or give us more time we are not ready.’ It depends on Cameroon, not CAF.”

Ahmad’s position that CAF had no problem with Cameroon’s preparations contradicted statements made by the confederation after a two-day executive committee meeting last week. Then, CAF declined to confirm Cameroon as host for the tournament next June and July and instead delayed a decision until the end of next month and after at least two more inspection visits.

Cameroon has been criticized for serious delays with stadiums and other infrastructure and is in the midst of a violent separatist rebellion in the west, where two tournament host cities are located. CAF would first send a joint CAF-FIFA team to assess the security situation this month, it said, and then inspect infrastructure before deciding if Cameroon can hold Africa’s top soccer tournament.

Ahmad’s visit to Cameroon this week was also contrary to what CAF said last week, when it decided to hold off any inspection visits until after the Cameroonian presidential elections, which take place on Sunday. President Paul Biya is seeking another term to extend his 36-year rule in Cameroon.

That election could be a catalyst for more violence in the southwestern and northwestern regions, where English-speaking separatists have been engaged in bloody fighting with government forces since late 2016. Cameroon is about 80 percent French-speaking.

Ahmad said he had decided to visit Cameroon on the invitation of former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o. “It is thanks to him that this visit has been organized in order to clear the air on every front,” Ahmad said.

CAF has no “Plan B” for the tournament, Ahmad said, a tournament which will be the first African Cup to be increased from 16 to 24 teams, placing additional pressure on Cameroon’s creaking infrastructure. Despite Ahmad dismissing the notion of a “Plan B,” Morocco has been mentioned as a possible replacement host.

If Morocco did stand in, it would be the fourth straight African Cup to be moved from its original host country. South Africa stepped in for Libya in 2013, the tournament was switched from Morocco to Equatorial Guinea in 2015, and Libya again backed out of its hosting last year, leaving Gabon to host at the last minute. Cameroon’s team is the African champion and was hoping to defend its title on home soil.

Source: News Observer

3, October 2018

AFCON 2019: CAF chief meets Biya during surprise visit to Cameroon!! Who is doing what ⁰

Confederation of African Football chief Ahmad Ahmad made a surprise visit on Tuesday to Cameroon, the troubled host of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Ahmad Ahmad reportedly told the world that his meeting with President Biya was organized by Cameroonian football legend, Samuel Eto’o.

The Madagascan met the 85 year-old Paul Biya, whose government is working to convince CAF it will be ready to host the continental festival of football despite doubts over the readiness and capacity of its stadiums.

Ahmad’s visit is expected to delay a planned election campaign visit by Biya to the town of Buea, which has been on the frontline of separatist violence by English-speaking fighters.

Officials had earlier suggested that he could travel to Buea as soon as Tuesday, but a presidency source said the trip was “unconfirmed”.

There are daily clashes between separatists and the army in the anglophone northwest and southwest regions, and security has been a major campaign issue ahead of Sunday’s presidential polls. Members of the nascent insurgency have threatened to disrupt the elections.

Towns in the anglophone regions were subject to a curfew ahead of the first anniversary of the separatists’ symbolic declaration of independence on Monday. On Sunday eight candidates will face off against Biya, 85, who is seeking a seventh term in power.

Camcordnews with files from AFP