Afcon has ignited the spirit of sportsmanship in Africa, all roads lead to Yaoundé as the biggest tournament in Africa is living up to its expectation. Football brings people together, and this is similar situation in Africa, despite the temporary rival on course to be champions of Africa, that sportsmanship exists to protect the game.
In Africa people go with all the excitements that comes with the game, turning up to stand behind their national teams, is something that gives the players the energy to keep pressing and never keep their foot off the gas, but at the end there is one champions.
AFRICAN CULTURE AND FOOTBALL
The opening ceremony of Afcon in Cameroon shows that football and culture can coexist. Africa with rich culture, tradition and heritage never fails to depict their origin. The presentation of the trophy was epic, it says a lot about the culture and huge respect for the game, this is to show people that they belong, and communicate the game very well to people living in the inner city, every support is going to count that was the message.
The challenge for Africa’s heavy weight Â
MINNOWS SHOWING STRONGHOLD
The game is no respecter of anyone, any team can just be the hero at the end of the tournament. Afcon teams pose threats and showcase of their strength to win games. The debutants Comoros looks like they are heading somewhere, their vision was short-lived, not a bad experience for minnows who like they are going to cause uproar.
The Gambia came with the gameplan to announce themselves properly in Afcon stage, gradually taking their plan on a voyage, but it was terminated before it could mature.
SHOCK EXIT
The game never serves the best vibe if there is no shock exit, there must be fall of giants. The Black Star of Ghana exit the group stage, on what was woeful performance this is the story of how the team has gone below the bottom, the country’s national team could not provide any solid performance it led to their untimely exist.
Some players were admirers of fans to dominate Afcon but they failed to live it up, Cote d’Ivoire coming out with stars in run of good form, Sabastian Haller was unplayable at UEFA champions’ league group stage, he was tipped to repeat the same performance in Afcon, penalty miss by Man Utd defender, Eric Bailly ended their chase for Afcon trophy.
CHAOS AND TRAGEDY
The match between the hosts Cameroon and Comoros leaves eight people dead and 38 injured, due to limited access to get into the stadium, as part of the pandemic rules. Fans were eager to attend the match but end up in chaos and tragedy. With fans stuck in the process checking in inside Olembe Stadium, the crowd was so mammoth that stampede occurred and many people struggle to save their lives. It was an unforeseeable event that the security failed to curtail. Those people that lost their lives will always be remembered and offered a minute’s silence in eternal rest of their souls.
Tunisia coach ran at full speed to the pitch with animating complaint when referee Janny Sikazwe blow the final whistle in 13 seconds before the normal stoppage time in a group stage game against Mali. The Zambia later justified his decisions to end the game earlier than usual time excluding added time, due to the hot weather and humidity which was about 85% in Cameroon, and alleged he could have died of heatstroke.
OVERSHADOWED BY COUP D’ETAT
Africa has been experiencing the return of military into the system again, gun is now replacing pen. Coup in Burkina Faso see military cease power and oust the president. Afcon giving people of Africa the excitement of the game, but this is not to take away the serious issue of failed leadership in the continent which has seen almost all the sectors in the system rotten.
A negative headline and a mixed emotions for the citizens of Burkina Faso. If the system is not properly fixed, uncultured events will be seemed inevitable and bound to occur. In such huge tournament in African football, it is deviating to talk about a course not worthy of football, but when all the things are stretched together, you can’t talk about is disjunctively.
ROAD TO OLEMBE: A FAMILIER TRAGEDY
All squared for Senegal and Egypt on the newly built Olembe stadium which oversee tragic events that led to loss of lives. The topic will be around Sadio Mane’s Senegal and Mo Salah’s Egypt, the pair who are teammates at club level will put aside club affection as they go against each other, in Yaoundé. Afcon will serve to live up to its fullest vibe, as the two premier league stars who have scored more 100 goals for Liverpool, march against each other.
Mane, largely active and has contributed to the Senegal’s success in the tournament, even at the initial stage when Napoli defender and Chelsea stopper, Koulibaly and Mendy respectively could not make it to early stages of the tournament due to Covid related cases, he was still the driving force in the team and open scoring account for his team, all focus is on the trophy as he looks to guide Senegal to the Afcon title.
Mo Salah coming into the Africa Cup Nations tournament with terrific form at Liverpool, and was unplayable he has to impact his team, a player enriched with experience, his presence in the team is threatening, the opponents know dangerous he can be at the final third, to be in the final is something the premier league top scorer couldn’t be happier about, hoping to go all the way and win it.
The tragic event in the stadium is something that will leave a scar in this year’s Afcon, it will be reminiscence of bad memory for people who lost their loved ones. It is about who become the new champions of Africa, it is going to be a dogfight, the both teams posed a great threat, it is going to be hunger game.
