The people are out. We put on the most beautiful tunics: yellow, green, red. Cameroon’s jerseys, without a crease, light up under the light of Douala. Saturday, January 29, at 5 p.m., the Indomitable Lions face for these first quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations (CAN), the surprising Gambia, at the Japoma stadium.
About twenty kilometers from this arena, thousands of supporters, from several corners of the city, joined Parcours Vita, a huge fan zone in the popular district of Bounamoussadi, “to see how the Lions get their claws out”, summarizes William Ngang with a smile that stretches his face. And at the end of the day, the Lions “scratched” the Gambians 2-0. The Scorpions no longer had enough venom to defeat their opponent, too strong for them. “The Scorpion is a small animal; he is not the king of the forest”, teases Mr. Ngang.
This 59-year-old merchant, who lives close to this space, likes to share a beer with friends every time the national team is broadcast on the giant screen. “I don’t want to be alone watching the game at home, he adds. Here, there is atmosphere. Being there gives me the joy of being Cameroonian. » Hard to contradict him. It was enough to see how the crowd sang “the rallying song”, the national anthem, to understand the pride that binds it to the national team. “Love of country brings us together”, advance Thérèse Ebodé, 38, administrative executive at the university, green jersey of the Lions on the back.
“Unity makes the lion”
This meeting started from 4 p.m.: the supporters are already coming to occupy one of the chairs under a scorching sun (over 30°, 77% humidity). We want to be closer to the screen. “Here, we will live the match between Cameroonians. Together, everyone feels good. Unity makes strength, unity makes the lion, poet Radameil Folcao, 32, a musician who wears funny glasses in the colors of his country.
The match will start soon. We’re going to get beers and more beers, so as not to miss anything during this confrontation. The Gambia, which is participating in its first CAN, is not scary. Even if this team beat Tunisia (1-0) or Guinea (0-1), we are already thinking about the next duel. A supporter prophesies the score by writing it on a slate: “I’m in the semi-finals. 2-0. » Well seen.
The public is energized. A place in the last four is at stake. “We had been waiting for this moment for fifty years, when we hosted the CAN”, recalls William Ngang. Indeed, in 1972, Cameroon organized the continental tournament for the first time, and the Lions lost in the semi-final against Congo (0-1). A trauma. Suddenly, the crowd rises: Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian federation, appears in the image. The national football icon is applauded as if he were the head of state.
Kick-off. The clamor is so loud that it is impossible to hear the comments. At the slightest overflow, as in the 12and, the fan zone quivers. With each action, some launch “penalty” ; ” Red card ! » On a corner, we shout ” That’s the point ! » A goal opportunity from Vincent Aboubakar who tries a Madjer (15and)? We jump and we blow even harder in the vuvuzelas. When a Scorpio receives a yellow card? We applaud him. What if the screen turns off for a few seconds? We growl.
The crowd is concentrated. Everyone believes that Collins Fai has just scored with a splendid long shot but the leather fails in the side netting (29th). From half an hour into the game, Cameroon multiplied the offensives and the child of the country, Vincent Aboubakar, was very close to scoring with a header, but the Gambian goalkeeper stopped him as a handkeeper (31st). Half time. Cameroon dominates (70% domination, 9 shots); but some worry with a frown: “We play the half, we have to score. »
Karl Toko-Ekambi liberates an entire people
And then, a few minutes after the resumption, Karl Toko-Ekambi finally deceives the goalkeeper (50th), freeing his team, the stadium and a whole people. Parcours Vita exults: hugging each other, drinking beer, dancing. Then, very quickly, the Olympique Lyonnais striker scored again (57th), this time the whole crowd was in a trance, already intoxicated by the flowing beer. We shake the bottles as if they were champagne, we climb on the chairs or the boxes; the decibels explode and the eardrums saturate.
It’s hard to stay seated, we pile up next to each other. At the final whistle, ” It’s happiness “, ignites Mathieu Tejuia, 47 years old. “We saw the most beautiful game of the Lions since the start of the tournament. They showed us that we could count on them for the semi-final and the final., continues this trader who already sees his team win the African Cup. In the middle of the crowd, Anicé Anaba, 35, is motionless, wrapped in the national flag, frozen by so many emotions, those of being in the semi-finals, scheduled for February 3 in Yaoundé against Egypt or Morocco (who compete on Sunday 30 at 4 p.m.).
“It’s victory, it’s national pride. In this crowd that you see, you don’t know who comes from the North, from the South, from the Littoral. We are a divided people, football can bring us together, says this 37-year-old technical high school teacher with passion. There is a hope behind this victory: to unite to finally solve our problems. This is the meaning of this AFCON: other challenges and victories await us. »
At the end of the match, some stay to watch Burkina Faso-Tunisia. While waiting for this duel, a DJ takes to the stage: Parcours Vita turns into a giant open-air discotheque. And to hell with barrier gestures…
