By Abongwa Fozo
Football is back to the Northwest region, by this I mean elite one football. PWD of Bamenda for the 2025/2026 season will be hosting it home matches in Bamenda once more. Joining the Abakwa Boys are Bafmeng United and Ngoketunjia FC in the elite two, though they had been playing already in Bambili in the previous seasons.
On Sunday February 1, and Thursday February 5, Ngia P or P Ton Ton as others will like to call them hosted Stade Renard of Melong and Gazelle FC of Garoua in that order at the Bamenda I Proximity Stadium.
Turnout was massive, results were impressive. After suffering a 0-3 lost in Victoria to Victoria united under doubtful circumstances, the team rebounded with two impressive home victories. Scoring five goals and conceding only one and in the process picking up six vital points that propelled them up the table to second.
Playing in Bamenda once more after the last match brought about some unpleasant happinings when it ended prematurely following sporadic gun shots at Mile 6.
The first march in Bamenda came eight days short of the anniversary of that unfortunate incident at the Yong Francis Sport Arena at Mile VI Nkwen. This brings up feelings similar to that of feeling couple who have been barren for years but finally paid a visit to the maternity for the birth of a baby.
Amongst the elated family members and friends to welcome the new baby at the maternity was the governor of the Northwest region, Adolphe Lele Lafrique and some of his close collaborators.
This was on February 1, 2026 and the baby came out bouncing, 4-1 was the scoreline that quenched the long yarning cries of the visitors to the maternity. The crowd roared, shouted, celebrated and spread unseen joy with every goal scored. It was total euphoria and joy for those who turn out at the maternity for the new baby(maybe except for the few fans and supporters of the visiting team).
PWD soon follow this with another birth (victory) on Thursday February 5, with even more fans turning out. This time it was a hard laboured birth, 1-0 it ended. Yet the feeling was even better.
Just like the birth of a baby to any couple that have overcome the challenges of barrenness can be exciting, it also brings with it many advantages and maybe minor Complication or nuances as I may be.
The impact of playing matches at home is so huge that when you look at the number of matches Bamenda elite one teams like Yong Sport and PWD played away from home you may begin to weep about the lost incurred by the region as a whole.
Come to think of it!
In the last two matches hosted in Bamenda by PWD, there were over 2000 fans at the stadium for each match. Over 3 million frs was collected as gate taking with over 2 million going into the home team’s coffers. This is not to say for over three seasons playing out of Bamenda this team or Yong sport have both collected any thing under this rubric up to a fraction of this amount. This was a huge challenge to runing a team in the region, rather they spend more to host matches away from home in lodging, feeding and transportation.
The over 4000 Fans for both matches came from different parts of Bamenda and beyond, paying buses, taxis and bikes to get to the stadium or using their personal vehicles which intend uses fuel. This stimulates the local economy. What about the vendors in and out of the stadium, the shops and bars around the vicinity. There was a viable business boom these two playing days.
Hotels and restaurants are not left out. Stade Renard, Gazelle FC and the match officials and visiting teams spent at least a night in Bamenda, further Injecting more money into the local economy.
The Bamenda I municipality also stands to benefit as it has a percentage of the gate taking as well. This goes a long way to boost the council’s income and provides funds for another needed development project.
Come to think about the players at the centre of this entertaining cycle. The recorded two wins meaning two win bonuses were paid, the were many encouraging packages from the supporters, individual fans amounting to hundred of thousands increasing their take home package and luring more talents to the “Bamenda appeal” and creating more atmosphere like this for the people who badly need it for the trauma of the Anglophone crisis.
Even come to think of it. PWD is up there on the table with six points reaped at home after two matches. Who knows what such confidence can do to their title ambitions. This was soon followed by a other victory, this time in Yaounde where PWS beat Fauve Azure 2-1. The impact.of.confidence.
Elite two sides Ngoketujia FC and Bqfmeng United were next to enjoy this benefit, they both recorded wins against Eding Sport (1-0) and Yafoot (2-1), picking their first points after losing in theor opening matches away
Like I earlier wrote, a barren pair finally giving birth can bring nuances too. Lots of questions by others as to what really happens, who was the problem, the man or the woman, is it actually their child? Are they really blessed by God? Is it a miracle? And so on.
Eye brows are being raised already about the amounts Bamenda is producing from the gate collections., Yaounde wants to have an oversight over the gate collections, others feel cheated, others want to come it and the expectations continue, the Price to pay for success at times is more scrutiny.
with PWD playing at home next on Sunday 15 February, expect more fans and more income for all the take holders and expectedly, more scrutiny.
