A stone’s throw from the Mungo River, which partly marks the dividing line between Cameroon’s anglophone and francophone regions, stand armored vehicles and trucks filled with soldiers. They have been there on careful watch since the African Nations Championship (CHAN) got under way on Jan. 16 with the home side’s 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in Yaounde.
CHAN is a long way from being the most important football tournament in the world; it is not even the biggest tournament in Africa.
However, the competition has taken on a more significant role as the Cameroonian hosts run the dress rehearsal for next year’s far more important African Cup of Nations (CAN) while handling COVID-19 and a deadly domestic war.
Photo: AFP
This is the first major international football tournament in the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The greater fear resides in the ongoing conflict in the west of the country.
Cameroon’s northwest and southwest regions have for more than three years been the theater of a bloody conflict between government forces and armed separatists.
Photo: AFP
Civilians are often caught up in the fighting, suffering at the hands of both sides, international aid groups and the UN say.
So far more than 3,000 people have died and more than 700,000 have fled their homes during the conflict.
Some armed groups have promised to disrupt CHAN. Along the banks of the Mungo — a symbol of the amalgamation in 1961 of Cameroon following French and British rule after World War I — police and military personnel have been boosted strengthened.
With the quarter-finals having starting on Saturday, fears are rising in Limbe, a town that will host one of the semi-finals, and in Buea, the region’s capital, which is the training center for some of the teams.
Ahead of Wednesday last week’s game between Zambia and Namibia in Limbe, the villages located along the road connecting this seaside town to Douala were almost deserted.
The armed separatists, nicknamed “Amba Boys” because they want to call the territory Ambazonia once they secure independence, stage “ghost town” operations every Monday, prohibiting any activity where they can.
However, since the opening of CHAN, “ghost town” has been decreed every day, including on the eve of the match in Limbe.
Usually very lively, the small towns of Tiko and Mutengene, between Buea and Limbe, were sealed off on Wednesday.
“It is normal that we are on alert,” a police officer in Buea said. “The enemies of peace are there, still active despite everything.”
On the road, as in Buea, light armored patrols crisscross the city, sometimes at high speed and other times at walking pace, but always with machine guns at the ready.
In Limbe, each match brings a new and very palpable sense of fear.
On Tuesday “everyone took shelter after a bomb explosion” near the stadium, 19-year-old Harris said.
On this occasion, there were no casualties. As a result, Harris opted “out of caution” not to go and see the Wednesday’s Zambia-Namibia match as he had planned.
As the competition rolls on toward the final on Sunday, Cameroon holds its breath.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
RSS