Works continue on AFCON projects
Despite the withdrawal of the hosting rights of Cameroon by CAF, construction works are still on going at the different project sites.
Cynthia EFOPA
The withdrawal of Cameroons hosting rights of the 2019 African Cup of Nations by the Executive Board of the Confederation of African Football last November 30th, 2018 left Cameroonians in a state of consternation and disappointment on the unjust nature of the decision of that football management body. However, the said decision has not demoralized the government in continuing to complete all the infrastructures that were destined to host the games, after all the sport facilities is meant to modernize sports in the country and will serve the Cameroon people even for generations to come.
In the Japoma stadium, one of the stadia in Douala in the Littoral region that was to host competitive games, works are in considerable progress. Trucks could be seen transporting gravels here and there and the workers committed on the plough as ever before. The lawns are already laid and the works in the dressing rooms are unfolding as prescribed by the Confederation of African Football. The project contractor of the Japoma stadium maintains that work will be completed by February and handed over to the Cameroon government as agreed.
In the Olembe stadium in Yaounde, the stadia in Garoua, Bafoussam and all other project sites in the six towns meant to host the game, works are going on peacefully and hitch free. The government maintains that the work shall attain the point of completion in March 2019 and all the prescriptions of CAF will be respected. Same is the case with hotels, hospitals and related infrastructures.
The unwelcoming news of the decision of the Confederation of African Football to withdraw the hosting rights of the 2019 Africa cup of nations from Cameroon has not left the country sleeping on its laureate. Cameroonians have maintained their resilience and temerity in the face of this adversity. All their efforts are tilted towards completing all the works on the facilities as planned. They have taken the challenge to tell the world they meant it when they said they could host the Africa Cup in spite of CAF’s decision that they have described as unjust and unmerited.
Some few months back, the CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad, was received in audience by the Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, during which the Head of State guaranteed the CAF president that all will be set come June 2019. Multiple CAF inspection missions were in Cameroon to evaluate the work on the different sites, and at the end of each of their mission, they were impressed with the level of advancement of construction works. The decision of the executive bureau of the African football organ was therefore a surprise, but that has only left Cameroonians more determined to construct this modern sport facilities for the development of sports in Cameroon.
