Cameroon stripped of hosting Afcon 2019
THE proud footballing nation of Cameroon is under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. This follows the announcement that the country has been stripped of the hosting rights for the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2019 because of delays with preparations as well as security concerns.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the decision after a meeting of its executive committee, saying that “a number of compliance conditions have not been met” and that it did not want to expose the Africa Cup of Nations to any issues that could impact on the success of the most prestigious African competition.
The competition is due to start in June 2019.
There is no denying that hosting a large-scale sporting event comes at a cost. There are years of planning and investment to ensure that the necessary infrastructural work gets done. This kind of financial commitment is daunting for any nation, but particularly for Cameroon which is ranked 93rd out of 190 nations in terms of its wealth.
But countries opt to host events like this because they believe that there will be positive economic and social spin-offs. Cameroon is no longer in a position to benefit in this way. And the decision is also a blow to its reputation, particularly given its reputation as a great footballing nation.
Football is known as the “king” sport in Cameroon. Ever since its introduction in the 1920s it’s been the number one sport in the country. When the national team plays, the streets are empty and the bars are full of people. Even the local football leagues are a favourite topic of conversation even though most matches aren’t broadcast on television.
The growth and popularity of football in Cameroon is largely attributed to the success of the national men’s team “The Indomitable Lions” and more recently the emergence of the national women’s team “The Lionesses”. The men’s national team has played in seven Fifa World Cup competitions, more than any other African team. The women’s team competed in their first Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2015 making the last 16.
Even today, football fans reminisce the triumphant emergence of the men’s national team in the 1990 World Cup and forward Roger Milla’s trademark dance by the corner flag, and the men’s victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games which secured Cameroon’s first ever Olympic gold medal.
But football has become more than a sport in Cameroon, with many people arguing that football is politics. For instance, political interest began in the early part of 1990 after protests and calls for political reform. Luckily for President Paul Biya, who has been ruling the West African country for 36 years, the national team’s performances at the 1990 World Cup in Italy diverted attention from political issues.
Research studies have shown that football plays a very prominent role with building a sense of nationalism and unity for Cameroonians. It’s therefore no surprise that the government has used football as bait to gain some form of stability when its power has been at stake.
More recently Biya has taken to several news outlets and forums personally to defend his country and argue that Cameroon is fit to host the African Cup on Nations in 2019. | The Conversation
Clarke is a lecturer in sport business management, Sheffield Hallam University, UK