In front of their audience, in the most important venue of the tournament in terms of capacity (60,000 seats), the Indomitable Lions, Cameroon’s national team, will try to bite the Burkinabè. On paper, the painting makes observers and football lovers salivate.
One month before the launch of the tournament, however, it is the doubt that predominates in the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The Olembé stadium, baptized Omnisports Paul Biya stadium, named after the eponymous president, crystallizes doubts. On December 3, after twelve years of work, it had still not been received. The deadline for the work was however set for November 30.
A construction company on strike
The Journal of Cameroon reports on the blocking of the progress of the site orchestrated by the Razel company. On December 2, the public works company went on strike to demand its due, “knowing full well that[il] it will be very difficult for him to get paid after the work is finished. “
Pressure and threat of relocation
At the end of November, the secretary general of CAF, Véron Mosengo-Omba sent a warning to the organizers. “Regarding the (opening) stadium of Olembé, know that if everything is not settled by November 30, 2021, the opening match will take place elsewhere, did he declare. Arrangements have already been taken in this direction, but it would be unfortunate for the Organizing Committee, for CAF and for Cameroon. “
Since then, the construction of the most expensive stadium in Africa has continued at an accelerated pace. The Cameroonian Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, owner, inquires daily about the progress of the work. For their part, the workers are busy day and night.
According to an article in Cameroon Tribune, deemed close to power, dated 1is December, “the official grandstand has its new staircase ramps, the access ramps to the northwest and northeast stands have been installed.”
Olembé stadium does not have a parking lot. It is not paved. In addition, CAF would have required fences around the stadium, which should be installed in the coming days.
Lise-Laure Etia, journalist at TV5MONDE, specialist in African football
In “this construction site atmosphere “, thus described by the daily, still remain a certain number of finishes to be completed. Lise-Laure Etia, the sports columnist of TV5 MONDE, regularly in contact on the subject with colleagues based on the spot, reports unfinished works around the infrastructure.
“There is no parking and it is not paved, she describes. In addition, CAF would have demanded fences around the stadium, which should be installed in the coming days. ” The images regularly shot by the Cameroonian television channel, Equinoxe TV, corroborate these observations.
Another pressure surge was unleashed at the beginning of December. Abdel Moneim Hussein, former player and member of CAF, spoke bluntly, at the microphone of the Egyptian channel Al-Hayah TV, the possibility of a CAN relocation to Qatar. “Everything is possible. CAF is under the auspices of FIFA and only FIFA can approve the relocation of a tournament outside the continent. “
Receipt of the trophy
However Lise-Laure Etia does not believe in this gloomy prospect. “CAF will take place in Cameroon, says the journalist. It’s about building up the pressure, and that’s normal. If it turned out that the tournament would be relocated, it would be a national disgrace. “
Mr. Mouelle Kombi, moreover, on December 6, tried to smother the fire in the columns of the Cameroon Tribune. “The Olembé stadium is ready and the work in progress of the Provisional Acceptance Commission in no way calls into question its functionality, he wrote. Day after day, the changes are noticeable and the residual work that continues relates to the beautification of this infrastructure. […] The taking of possession which constitutes an internal process in no way calls into question the evidence of the holding and organization of the solemn opening ceremony in Olmebé on January 9th. “
The next day, CAF’s communications director, Alexandre Siewe, also kicked the rumors into touch, at the microphone of the BBC. “We cannot spend our time responding to rumors. We have not received any message or information from our leaders regarding a change of dates or countries. We haven’t discussed this in all of our past meetings. “
The same day, the Minister of Sports, for his part, published a press release attesting to the official reception, in Yaoundé, of the competition trophy. Concern over the smooth running of the event and the application of the Covid-19 protocol to access the stadium still persists.
