Cameroon have finished 3rd in the Africa cup of Nations after coming from 3 goals down before winning 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

Burkina Faso surprisingly beat the host nation 2-nil in the 1st half and Djibril Ouattara scored the 3rd before the hour mark. But, Cameroon responded in a superb fashion as Stephane Bahoken pulled one back in the 71st minute. Then, Vincent Aboubakar netted twice in a span of 3 minutes to tie the match at 3-all in the regulation time and the match went to penalties without any extra time.

The 5-time winner then converted all 5 of their spot-kick to finish 3rd. The final of the tournament will be held on Sunday and Egypt will face Senegal to extend their 7-time winner record while Senegal are bidding to claim their 1st continental title.

The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) buzz that has gripped Cameroon, which not even a stampede and eight people dying could damper, has yet to reach some parts of the country even as the tournament reaches its crescendo. In certain areas of the central African nation, watching football is a luxury.

While most of Cameroon and the rest of the continent have been enjoying the football fiesta, fear and militarisation have gripped the English-speaking parts of the country. The government pulled out all the stops to ensure no embarrassment when those fighting for secession threatened to use the Afcon to amplify their voice and cause.

At the heart of this is the so-called Anglophone crisis that began in 2017 with a strike against the marginalisation of those in the English-speaking parts of the largely Francophone country. This culminated in a strong push for secession of the Northwest and Southwest regions.

The ugly side of the beautiful game

Ardent football fan Tata Tilion comes from Buea, the capital of the Southwest Region. With Cameroon hosting the continental showpiece for the first time in 50 years, he had been looking forward to enjoying the extravaganza. But when it came, insecurity had got the better of his hometown and made football a menace to his existence.

“Teams lodging in Buea aren’t comfortable. They train with so much fear. Imagine having just military people watching training sessions,” says Buea resident Obasse Romeo.

Limbé in the Southwest Region hosted Group F – Mali, Tunisia, The Gambia and Mauritania – and two last-16 matches. But for Tilion and many like him, going to the stadium to enjoy the tournament didn’t cross their minds because of the prevailing atmosphere.

Stray bullets

The situation is worse on Mondays. This is the day when separatist fighters impose a sit-at-home strike. “The town is dreadful … [Only] courageous people are on the streets because anything can happen,” says Tilion.

As a taxi driver, he is forced to leave his home on Mondays. “The issue is you don’t know who is monitoring or if the separatist fighters have spotted you.”

In this area, secessionists fighting President Paul Biya’s French-majority government to form a breakaway state called Ambazonia are everywhere and do not wear identifiable attire. They infiltrate gatherings and public places to gain information. Improvised explosive devices that are suspected to have come from them have killed many people, particularly those they said had disobeyed their orders or sympathised with the government.

Inside the stampede at Olembé Stadium

This is why Tilion has been watching the tournament on television rather than risk his life to the detriment of his wife, three children and other relatives. Stray bullets killed three people on the opening day for Group F during shootings by both state forces and secessionist fighters.

Since the crisis started, more than 3 500 people have died during spates of violence and about 700 000 forced to flee the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon, according to UN reports.

The death of team spirit

Football fan Tiku Musu Kasa has no problem with the government deploying gun-wielding soldiers. “The advantage we have now is witnessing it [the Afcon] and being able to recount to the next generation. If you are watching it on television or following it on radio, you will not be able to give a vivid testimony of the experience in years to come.”

Kasa appreciates the role football has played to bring unity to the country. “After the abortive coup d’état of 1984, a lot of hatred continued in Cameroon, and there was an opportunity for another coup.

“But with the brilliant performance of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, defeating 1986 World Cup holders Argentina in the presence of the god of football at the time, Diego Armando Maradona, and other victories in the same tournament, it made people move with peace plants all over. Peace automatically returned to the country.”

During that period, people watched football freely all over the country. Sociocultural and economic activities boomed. Kasa remembers how Ekata Farmers FC of Bafia pulled in the crowds when they visited Kumba to play.

“When Cameroon had to play, people used to wear their jerseys, flags. Some dressed like footballers with boots and walked the streets. If you were a fan of a particular player, you wore that player’s jersey.”

Today, “people are afraid that if they wear team colours, fighters and people with secessionist ideas will consider them blacklegs”, Kasa says referring to the derogatory term used against people who act against trade unions by working when others are on strike. He continued that secessionists also “kill, beat them or burn their houses”.

Match day with the military

It is match day in Limbé on Sunday 23 January. In neighbouring Buea, with six hours to go before Burkina Faso’s clash with Gabon in the last 16. There are no vuvuzelas, excitement, flags or Afcon colours. The streets are heavily militarised, and soldiers line the roads and watch over suspicious joints and byways. Some use incomplete buildings and flyovers as watchtowers.

Here, unlike in the other host cities, sirens and escort drivers are not in use, perhaps for fear of attracting fighters. The driver of the Confederation of African Football-branded bus taking reporters to the stadium makes two stops to pick up journalists, much to the dismay of the military escorts who see it as risky.

Limbé is relatively calm, a little more congested with fans waving as we pass. Traffic police officers clear the way as we descend to Ngueme, where the stadium is located.

Down right, another contingent of soldiers lines both sides of the road. Checkpoints, too. Security is tight at the entrance with others along the stadium’s perimeter. Unlike in Buea, there are fans walking, some running, some gesturing at us to help them catch up with the game.

Before kick off, Gabonese fan Manitou, who refers to himself only by his first name, says he was afraid to come to Limbé. “On my way here, I saw military people with firearms. They told me that the area had security issues. That’s why I decided to lodge in Douala. But personally, I think it’s good. It prevents those coming with bad intentions. Our government provided 10 buses to transport us and we were escorted by these soldiers. That’s needed for us to feel secure.”

Somehow, attendance at the 20 000-seater stadium is impressive. Ruling party politicians and pro-regime administrators desperately mobilised crowds to show up at the stadium to cheer. Spectators say they received free tickets and vaccination passes – even those who aren’t inoculated.

Abductions and torture

When the Afcon ends on 6 February and all the dignitaries are gone, a good number of soldiers will be taken off the streets. Problems will remain. Football will still be a tough sport to follow.

Shootings, killings, burnings, brutality and kidnappings have seen many amateur clubs withdraw from regional competitions. The few enduring ones play fewer games, with matches held in towns that offer better security, such as Kumba, Buea, Limbé and Bamenda. The peripheries are no-go zones.

Former footballer Obasse Romeo remembers the day that unknown gunmen attacked Mount Cameroon FC players at training. Players subsequently withdrew for their safety.

Amba Boys, as separatist fighters are commonly referred to, send death threats and disrupt games. They abducted Buea University’s football team from the campus training ground and tortured them. Unknown gunmen shot and killed Kombe Israel, the owner of Bau Manibok FC, in Kumba in June 2021.

The dark side of sport’s power

In the country’s Northwest Region, second and first-tier clubs have had their share of trouble too.

Emmanuel Ndoumbe Bosso, the former coach of Yong Sports Academy (Yosa), was kidnapped while driving to the club’s training ground. Augustine Choupo, the coach of 2020 Cameroon league one champions PWD Bamenda, was also kidnapped. The clubs didn’t say if ransoms were paid to secure their releases, and Bosso left after the incident. 

When the clubs host league games, gun-wielding officers serve as stewards. This is after armed groups attacked visiting Dragon de Yaoundé as they made their way to a match venue in Bamenda. Heavily armed security forces accompany visiting teams to and from the field, and sometimes out of town. When a game ends, the visiting team is quickly taken away, sometimes before they have even changed out of their match jerseys.

Club repercussions

Yosa press officer Wanchia Cynthia says the instability in the region has affected their club. “Initially, we had Francophone players ready to play for the team. But since 2021, it hasn’t been the case, reason being the insecurity. Those players are afraid of kidnappers and stray bullets. Yogo Sorel is the only Francophone who played for the team last year.”

This isn’t an issue for the team though, says Wanchia, because it has made room for players from the two English-speaking regions.

The Bamenda Olympic Stadium project remains unfinished. Constructors are said to blame the slow progress on insecurity in the area.

Kasa says the crisis isn’t helping in any way. He wants peace to return so “young people will express their talents and football will grow again”.

Culled from New Frame

Egypt won their third consecutive match in extra time to reach Sunday’s final against Senegal. A nervy 0-0 draw saw Cameroon dominate the first half but lack the creative edge of their earlier matches – then ended when Egypt prevailed by keeping their cool in the shootout.

Senegal reach the final by triumphing 3-1 over a valiant, well-disciplined Burkina Faso. A dynamic first half saw neither side score – but the Teranga Lions roared in the second half, demonstrating formidable goalscoring prowess.

Senegal boast a formidable squad spearheaded by Liverpool’s tremendously gifted winger Sadio Mané and Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, arguably the best shot-stopper in the contemporary game. Napoli’s defensive linchpin Kalidou Koulibaly and PSG box-to-box midfielder Idrissa Gueye provide further quality elsewhere on the pitch.

But Senegal disappointed for much of the tournament. They won their group in desultory fashion with just five points and one win, a 1-0 triumph over Zimbabwe produced by a dubious penalty in the 7th minute of injury time.

The Teranga Lions finally roared in the quarterfinals, where they dominated against a surprisingly tricky Equatorial Guinea to bag a decisive victory. That performance showed why they remain a decent bet to win the tournament, despite that lacklustre opening. After all, in the 2018 World Cup, France were drab in the group stage but came alive in the knockouts before taking the trophy in style. Senegal could well pull off a similar feat.

Few observers regarded their opponents Burkina Faso as one of the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations, but they have quietly fought their way through the competition in the face of difficult opposition. Burkina Faso won on penalties against Gabon, previously one of the tournament’s most exciting teams, before their victory against Tunisia, who beat the mighty Nigeria in their preceding game – as teenager Dango Ouattara gifted them victory with a cracking goal.

Source: France 24

The Africa Cup of Nations semifinals kick off on Wednesday as Senegal take on Burkina Faso, followed by Cameroon’s clash against Mo Salah’s Egypt the next day. Hosts Cameroon are the clear favourites but they’re expected to face tough competition. FRANCE 24 gives you the lowdown.

Senegal v Burkina Faso

Senegal went into this competition as the most touted team to seize the trophy. The Teranga Lions grabbed the attention of football fans across the globe at the 2002 World Cup, when they famously beat title-holders France – the formidable Bleus of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. 

Since then, they cemented their status as giants of African football. It didn’t look like it would be long before they won their first trophy – and the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations seemed a good bet, since Senegal boasted a formidable squad spearheaded by Liverpool’s tremendously gifted winger Sadio Mané and Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, arguably the best shot-stopper in the contemporary game. Napoli’s defensive linchpin Kalidou Koulibaly and PSG box-to-box midfielder Idrissa Gueye provided further quality elsewhere on the pitch.

But Senegal disappointed for much of this year’s tournament. They won their group in desultory fashion with just five points and one win, a 1-0 triumph over Zimbabwe produced by a dubious penalty in the 7th minute of injury time.

The Teranga Lions finally roared in the quarterfinals, where they dominated against a surprisingly tricky Equatorial Guinea to bag a decisive victory. That performance showed why they remain a decent bet to win the tournament, despite that lacklustre opening. After all, in the 2018 World Cup, France were drab in the group stage but came alive in the knockouts before taking the trophy in style. Senegal could well pull off a similar feat.

Few observers regarded their opponents Burkina Faso as one of the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations, but they have quietly fought their way through the competition in the face of difficult opposition. Burkina Faso won on penalties against Gabon, previously one of the tournament’s most exciting teams, before their victory against Tunisia, who beat the mighty Nigeria in their preceding game – as teenager Dango Ouattara gifted them victory with a cracking goal.

Cameroon v Egypt

Cameroon imposed themselves as the obvious favourites with a sparkling win early on against Ethiopia, a 4-1 trouncing that lit up a previously goal-shy tournament. They won two out of three group stage matches and never looked back from that sterling performance in the opening round.

Their most formidable asset is talismanic striker Vincent Aboubakar, the tournament’s leading scorer so far with six goals in five games. Aboubakar’s power, pace and positioning will make him a lethal threat to Egypt’s defenders.

Aboubakar’s strike partner Karl Toko-Ekambi is not far behind in the goal scoring table, with five goals in as many matches. The Lyon striker was the star of the show in Cameroon’s quarterfinal victory over Gambia, as they relentlessly attacked to defeat well-disciplined and determined opponents.

Toko-Ekambi put them one up shortly after half-time with an exquisite header from an equally sumptuous Collins Fai cross. Seven minutes later he made it two, launching an impeccably timed run from behind the Gambia defense to tap a low cross into the back of the net. 

The home advantage provides a further boon for Cameroon, with cheering crowds flocking to the stadiums, creating an intimidating atmosphere for opponents.

Cameroon’s semifinal opponents Egypt were expected to benefit from a similar home advantage when they hosted the tournament last time, in 2019. But they crashed out in the last 16 in disappointing form.

Although Egypt has at least two further rounds, their form hasn’t markedly improved, as they progressed, thanks to Nigeria, before narrow, uninspiring victories over Sudan, Ivory Coast and Morocco.

But the victory over Morocco demonstrated why – despite a lack of talent in many positions – many football fans rate Egypt as a top contender. It can be explained in two words: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool superstar and undoubtedly the greatest African footballer of the day.

Everything rested on Salah for the Pharaohs as they successfully tried to overcome Morocco – and he delivered. First he poached a ruthlessly opportunistic goal from the six-yard line. Then he enabled the second goal with a dazzling run down the right – the stuff of defenders’ nightmares – handing teammate Trézéguet a goal on a plate.

So far in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Cameroon defence have not faced a player on anything like the same level as Salah – and they were rattled against a valiant Cape Verde, who held them to a draw in the only blot on Cameroon’s record, thanks to their keen eye for the slightest defensive misstep. The hosts may be the clear favourites, but this tournament has thrown up suprises and there could well be still more to come. 

Source: France 24