a écrit le 29 mai 2006 à 2h30 World Cup Euphoria Missing in Cameroon
Evident lack of interest barely days before the kickoff
By Yemti Harry Ndienla
The run-up to the World Cup traditionally has not seen Cameroonians as indifferent as they are this year. Less than two weeks before the start of the famous event, it is not much talked about in the country. This is undoubtedly because Cameroon will not answer "present" at the opening roll call in Germany.
Had the indomitable Lions qualified for the competition, there would now be a lot of anxiety as well as debate on how the team would perform.
The Portuguese-born coach, Arthur Jorge, would certainly not have resigned, since his mission was to qualify the Lions for and take them to the World Cup. He would already have published his list of 23 players to represent the nation in the tournament, and debate would have been rife as to why this or that player was selected and why this or that one was left out or why this color of jersey.
Cameroonians would have already been sizing up their opponents, predicting which of them would beat, draw with, or lose to the Lions. Since Cameroonians are all "good coaches," they would have already been projecting the line-up of their team, at least for the opening game. By this time also, fans of the different players of the national squad would have begun betting on which of them would be having sleepless nights or which others would be having bitter-sweet dreams in anticipation of the event.
Fan clubs cheering different individual players are usually the ones who animate the public most during such run-ups. They would by now have been holding multiple meetings, making contributions, and buying jerseys with the national colors, all in readiness to take to the streets in jubilation each time the Lions score a goal or win a match.
The government, too, would have been doing its part. Bookings of chartered flights for Cameroonians to and from Germany would have been seriously underway, while travel agencies, for their part, would be going wild with publicity stunts.
Since the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Mbarga Mboa, had opted for green jerseys for supporters during Cameroon's last match against Cote d'Ivoire in the CAN/World Cup 2006 eliminations, it is believed that he would have accordingly arranged that each Lions supporter visiting Germany from Cameroon would go with a special jersey.
Evident lack of interest barely days before the kickoff
By Yemti Harry Ndienla
The run-up to the World Cup traditionally has not seen Cameroonians as indifferent as they are this year. Less than two weeks before the start of the famous event, it is not much talked about in the country. This is undoubtedly because Cameroon will not answer "present" at the opening roll call in Germany.
Had the indomitable Lions qualified for the competition, there would now be a lot of anxiety as well as debate on how the team would perform.
The Portuguese-born coach, Arthur Jorge, would certainly not have resigned, since his mission was to qualify the Lions for and take them to the World Cup. He would already have published his list of 23 players to represent the nation in the tournament, and debate would have been rife as to why this or that player was selected and why this or that one was left out or why this color of jersey.
Cameroonians would have already been sizing up their opponents, predicting which of them would beat, draw with, or lose to the Lions. Since Cameroonians are all "good coaches," they would have already been projecting the line-up of their team, at least for the opening game. By this time also, fans of the different players of the national squad would have begun betting on which of them would be having sleepless nights or which others would be having bitter-sweet dreams in anticipation of the event.
Fan clubs cheering different individual players are usually the ones who animate the public most during such run-ups. They would by now have been holding multiple meetings, making contributions, and buying jerseys with the national colors, all in readiness to take to the streets in jubilation each time the Lions score a goal or win a match.
The government, too, would have been doing its part. Bookings of chartered flights for Cameroonians to and from Germany would have been seriously underway, while travel agencies, for their part, would be going wild with publicity stunts.
Since the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Mbarga Mboa, had opted for green jerseys for supporters during Cameroon's last match against Cote d'Ivoire in the CAN/World Cup 2006 eliminations, it is believed that he would have accordingly arranged that each Lions supporter visiting Germany from Cameroon would go with a special jersey.
