Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
It is exactly 42 years ago that Cameroon won the bid and hosted the African Cup of Nations, AFCON. It was the 8th edition of the African football jamboree and the year – 1972. Four decades after, Cameroon, Saturday, September 21 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia won the bid to host the 2019 AFCON.
The aforementioned decision was made by the Confederation of African Football, CAF, after deliberations from the Executive Committee Meeting that took place in the AU headquarter in Ethiopia. CAF decided as follows; Cameroon will host the AFCON 2019, Ivory Coast in 2021 and Guinea Conakry in 2023.
Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT) won the bid to host the 2019 AFCON.
Though the Cameroonian delegation that left for Ethiopia, Tuesday, September 16 2014 was void of big names in the country’s football like; Albert Roger Milla, Thomas Nkono, Joseph Antoine Bell, Patrick Ndem Mboma, Samuel Fils Eto’o and more, the delegation led by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, the President of the Normalisation Committee of FECAFOOT, Prof. Joseph Owona, the Secretary General of FECAFOOT, Tombi A Roko Sidiki, representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidency of the Republic took the challenge to defend the country’s flag and successfully did so in front of the 19-man Executive Committee of CAF.
Members of the Cameroonian delegation being congratulated by CAF officials and the Executive Committee members
Presenting Cameroon’s technical documents that convinced 14 of the permanent members of the CAF Commission, FECAFOOT SG, Tombi A Roko, explained why Cameroon should be the AFCON host 2019 on three grounds; political stability, a peaceful atmosphere and an elaborate programme of development, especially sports development.
According to Tombi, Cameroon is currently building stadia across the country and following CAF and FIFA standards. He reminded the CAF Commission on what the government told the CAF inspection team that came to Cameroon and that they are working in the right direction.
He will mention that CAF wants four stadiums for the AFCON competition but Cameroon has more than four, citing the newly constructed stadium in Limbe, the Douala Reunification stadium, the Yaoundé Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, the Rounde Adja stadium in Garoua, two more stadia under construction in Douala and Yaounde and another stadium being constructed in Bafoussam.
On health infrastructure, Cameroon’s technical documents indicated the existing health facilities the country can show of; four general hospitals in Douala and Yaounde, two Gyneco-Obstetrics Hospitals in Yaounde and Douala respectively and an up-to-date Regional Hospitals in Bafoussam and Garoua.
Tombi revisited the glorious days of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, saying the country’s national football team has contributed to the development of football across the African continent and beyond.
The airports and good road networks were brought to the fore. The Douala International Airport, the Yaounde-Nsimalen International Airport and the Garoua International Airport were presented. “With these airports, teams and their supporters can fly with ease across the country. The 1,172km which separates Douala from Garoua can be done in 2 hours 15 minutes by air with CAMAIR-CO,” Tombi added.
He reassured the CAF Executive Committee that the Douala – Yaoundé highway that is under construction will be completed before 2019. The hospitable nature of Cameroonians was also a point to reiterate.
The race for Cameroon to win the host for AFCON 2019 was not an easy one as they had to scale the huddles of well packaged documents from Ivory Coast, Algeria, Zambia and Guinea – Conakry.
Cameroon also came out victorious, with a CAF decision, instituting a fair-play trophy at the AFCON, in memory of Albert Ebosse Mbonjongo, Cameroonian footballer at JS Kabyli, Algeria. Ebosse was killed on Saturday, August 23 2014 in Algeria after a football match.
Cameroon is a four-time-winner of the AFCON; 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2002. The country has a history of 7th participation at the World Cup final phase and Gold Medallist in football at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
