Strict Covid-19 protocols and exorbitant ticket prices have resulted in many Cameroonians watching the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in fan parks or at home, rather than inside the stadiums where matches are being held.

After a 50-year wait to host the Afcon again, the expectation was that residents of the football-obsessed country would fill stadiums and display their passion for the continent and the world to see. That hasn’t happened, partly because Cameroon’s vaccination policy is a deterrent for many fans. Only vaccinated spectators are allowed inside the stadiums and they have to produce a negative polymerase chain reaction test to get access.

“I have two main reasons for watching matches from fan zones,” said football supporter Jean Claude Armel. “The first is because I was discouraged by the medical pass … There is also the time factor.” Armel had intended to watch games in the stadium from the round of 16, which started on 23 January, “but as long as the medical protocol is maintained I won’t go anyway”.

Armel’s sentiment is shared by many, including Njiya Jores, a company owner who lives in Etoudi, a neighbourhood in Yaoundé that is barely a stone’s throw from the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.

“You don’t oblige people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and still expect to see the stadiums filled. Personally, I have no intentions to get myself vaccinated now. So, since I can’t watch from the stadium, I prefer to watch at home or in fan zones. The ambiance is the same.”

The Covid-19 protocol has had some positive impact on getting people vaccinated, however. Prior to the start of the tournament on 9 January, hundreds of fans queued for long hours to get the jab. Statistics of how many Cameroonians are vaccinated are hard to find, and attempts to get them from the department of health were unsuccessful. Reports claim that less than 3% of the country’s estimated just over 26 million population is vaccinated. 

Out of reach

The vaccination requirement has not been the only hindrance to filling the stadiums. Supporters have complained about the price of tickets and the complexity of buying them online, which is the Confederation of African Football’s preferred method and something many fans aren’t used to doing.

Tickets range from 3 000 Central African francs (about R79) to CFA20 000. For domestic football, tickets normally cost between CFA500 and CFA1 000. The high prices of Afcon tickets have excluded many football fans who don’t have the financial means to buy tickets to the stadiums. There are also those who are taking advantage by buying tickets and selling them at an even higher price on the black market.

“It is difficult to obtain a ticket, especially when Cameroon is playing,” said a Cameroonian who declined to be named. “When I think of all the stress I have to go through, I rather prefer to watch from home. If you buy a ticket for double the initial price, how do you feed and provide for your family?”

In Limbe, in western Cameroon, the location of the stadium outside the town is a problem for many fans. Erwin Ayota, a journalist from the area, said the “turnout has been timid for obvious reasons”.

“The stadium is located at Ngueme, an area where access is not easy,” he said. “Getting to the field for the population of Limbe is difficult. People have to trek for long distances because of the absence of bikes and taxis. People feel discouraged to go to the stadium.”

He adds that the Covid-19 protocols “created an atmosphere of unwillingness to go to the stadium. Now the government has tried to counteract this by making buses available to ease transportation, and things are slowly improving.”

Boosting the numbers

To boost attendance, President Paul Biya issued instructions to reduce work and school hours in Cameroon. Classes are now held from 7.30am to 1pm and work hours are from 7.30am to 2pm. This exceptional measure, which is more effective in the public sector, came into effect on 17 January.

Some government officials and prominent personalities have also made a huge number of tickets available to fans to enable them to watch matches. Other institutions have made attending the tournament mandatory, supplying their staff with tickets.

These measures have boosted attendance somewhat. “More and more people are [now] coming to watch games in the stadiums. In the coming games, notably in the round of 16, there will be more people in the stadiums,” said Ekombe Pascaline, director of the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.

“I feel elated that the stands are full,” he continued, exaggerating to make his point as the opposite is true. “You organise a tournament of this magnitude and the stands are empty, it doesn’t speak well. So we are happy that the population of Limbe and other regions are coming to watch matches of the Afcon.

“We had very heavy participation, especially during match day two. Even on the first day of play, our attendance compared with other sites was not bad. We want to encourage many more people to come and watch matches in Limbe.”

Culled from New Frame

Hosts Cameroon are through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations but only after labouring to a 2-1 win over a Comoros side who were forced to start an outfield player in goal and played most of the game with 10 men.

The Comoros started with left-back Chaker Alhadhur between the posts in Yaounde after two of their three goalkeepers were ruled out due to Covid-19 while the other was missing due to injury.

They then had captain Nadjim Abdou sent off after just seven minutes, and Karl Toko-Ekambi put Cameroon in front before skipper Vincent Aboubakar netted his sixth goal of the tournament.

Despite that it was a heroic performance from the Comoros, who kept the tie alive until the end thanks to Youssouf M’Changama’s stunning late free-kick.

The Indomitable Lions keep their dream of winning the Cup of Nations on home soil alive as they advance to a last-eight tie against Gambia on Saturday, yet this was the Comoros’ night, despite the outcome.

The tiny Indian Ocean island nation qualified for the last 16 in their first ever appearance at the Cup of Nations after finishing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage.

However, their dream turned to a nightmare as a total of 12 players and staff tested positive for Covid-19 two days before the tie, including goalkeepers Ali Ahamada and Moyadh Ousseini.

Their other goalkeeper, Salim Ben Boina, was injured but they had hoped Ahamada would be able to start after he tested negative on the day of the game.

The 30-year-old Ahamada flew from Garoua, where he had been isolating, to Yaounde on Monday afternoon in the hope of being able to play, only for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide otherwise as his positive result had come just two days earlier.

Alhadhur, a reserve left-back for French Ligue 2 side Ajaccio, wore the gloves, with tape used to mark out his number three on the back of his goalkeeper’s jersey.

It was a farcical scene, and the Comoros’ plight worsened when Abdou was shown a straight red card for a foul on Moumi Ngamaleu after the Ethiopian referee went to review images of his challenge.

Rather than give up, the Comoros kept going and they only fell behind in the 29th minute when Aboubakar teed up Toko-Ekambi to slot home.

The islanders, whose coach Amir Abdou was among those missing after testing positive, almost equalised shortly after as Ahmed Mogni forced Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana into a fine save.

Aboubakar had a second-half effort disallowed for offside before making it 2-0 with 20 minutes left, finishing excellently after being picked out by Martin Hongla.

Yet there was no collapse from the Comoros, who pulled one back courtesy of M’Changama’s piledriver from 35 metres and go out with their heads held high.

Source: AFP

Musa Barrow scored a 71st-minute winner as Gambia continued their giant killing spree at the Africa Cup of Nations by pulling off an upset 1-0 win over Guinea in Bafoussam on Monday to advance to the quarter-finals.

Striker Barrow, one of the outstanding performers at the tournament, was set up by a defence-splitting pass from Yusupha Bobb but still had to take the ball away from the Guinea defence with his right foot and then put it onto his left for a fine finish to settle the last-16 tie.

The small west Africa country are the lowliest ranked of all the 24 participants at the tournament in Cameroon at 150 in the world and are making their debut at the finals.

They will play the winner of Monday’s later match between hosts Cameroon and the Comoros Islands.

Source: REUTERS