By Anye Nde Nsoh & Nji Nelson Chefor
Sports Writers Kick442.com-Cameroon
As it is often said, “there is light at the end of the dark tunnel”, so is it about manifesting in the North West region of Cameroon. For years now, the people of the North West region have been clamoring for a good stadium where talents in the region could be developed.
The region currently prides itself with six clubs in Cameroon top tier Championships. 2020 Elite One champions PWD Social Football Club and 2013 Cup of Cameroon winner Yong Sports Academy of Bamenda in Elite One, Vision Sports FC in Women’s Division One, Foncha Street FC and Rangers FC of Bafut in Elite Two, and Ita Mbong in the Women Division Two.
With all these clubs in these levels, coupled with exceptional performances, the teams lack a good turf to use as the home ground for their games.
With the coming of Samuel Eto’o Fils at the helm of FECAFOOT, there is hope for a stadium in Bamenda, the chief town of the North West region.
This is evident from the fact-finding mission carried out by the Chargé de Mission of FECAFOOT, Maboang Kessack Emmanuel, who visited and had a working session with officials of North West FECAFOOT Bureau for a possible suitable stadium to play the championship for the 2021/2022 football season.
“I am here sent by the President of FECAFOOT Samuel Eto’o to know first that the league in the region has an infrastructure where it will be played, and the department to have an office. But my principal reason is to see the situation and know how the stadium can be ready on short notice. Samuel Eto’o also has a program to build another stadium out of this.” Maboang Kessack explained.
During his visit Sunday, February 13, 2022, Maboang Kessack visited and toured around the abandoned Bamenda Municipal Stadium where work has been halted due to an injunction order, as a result of inconsistencies with the former construction company Prime protomac. A situation which he lamented on, recounting how former national team players trained in Bamenda ahead of major competitions.
“About 35 years ago most of the legendary players of Cameroon in the likes of Ben Bola and other national team players played here against North West players before going for the world cup, but today am here and I see the stadium in this state I feel like crying. I can’t believe a reputable country like Cameroon and the North West that gives a lot does not have a stadium. Six clubs in the elite and no stadium, my heart is broken”, he lamented.
Speaking to the press, Mbigha Felix President of FECAFOOT North West appreciated Samuel Eto’o for keeping to his promise in the construction of stadia across the country and called on the government of Cameroon to fully implement the Special Status given to the North West region by intervening and facilitating the removal of the court injunction order on the stadium for work to effectively resume.
“I want to plead with the Cameroon government to show us the Special Status which they say has been given to the North West and South West in this stadium, that is the lone cry we are crying because football is a unifying factor and we can use football to bring peace in our region. Let them exercise that special status, uplift that injunction order in this field for work to resume.”
Traveling back to Yaounde, officials of FECAFOOT North West as well as the Chargé de Mission for FECAFOOT, agreed that the main thing to be done for the stadium is first the injunction order be uplifted, a synthetic turf planted, the dressing rooms, offices, Restaurant completed and the stands to be mounted in the Bamenda Municipal Stadium.
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