After a brief 135 minutes return, football is once again taken out of Bamenda following gun skirmishes that interrupted the the second match staged at the Yong Francis Arena at Mile VI on February 9, 2025
It was PWD Vs Fauve Azure and both teams were tied at one all before heading into the locker rooms for the recess.
Gun shots probably fired into the air by unknown gunmen send the over 6000 spectators that had gathered at the stadium scrambling for cover while security men took up strategic defensive positions. But that was it, the gunmen took a safe distance from the field where the could be seen leisurely riding and walking around.
When all thought it was all over they fired a series of gun shots(still probably in the air) provoking the police and gendarme deployed for security to start firing indiscriminately towards their direction. These deafening gunshots close by to the panic spectators completely set them off as they all took towards the only exit from the stadium and started rushing home.
The players, match officials and the rest of the spectators including club and FECAFOOT officials from the Northwest safely exited the ground with only few Spectator’s sustaining minor bruises when the scurry for safety during the gun shots.
After this incident, which seems to have completely confirm the fact that football cannot be played in Bamenda due to insecurity, matches of the next day of play have been taken out of the Northwest region completely
The questions most fans ask is “who does not want football to be played in Bamenda?” Officials of PWD Bamenda confirmed that just playing that match in Bamenda which even ended prematurely gave the team a huge financial boost that was able to enable it easily pay training bonuses, pay hotel lodging and even help with part of the financial preparation for their next match against Stade Renard of Melong
This was a similarly position for Yong Sport after successfully hosting a game in Bamenda without incident.
For three years these teams have been playing home matches away from home in the West Region, causing huge financial strains to the teams. These teams spend more than any other teams in the the league but probably for Cotonsport and Gazelle FC due to their location in the North region. This has also adversely affected the team’s performances.
Yong Sport picked it first win of the campaign only when they return home to Bamenda though there are still last on the log table.
PWD Bamenda has picked 5 points in their last five matches all played away though you will be tempted to say some where at home away in Mbouda.
With the Bamenda Municipal stadium undergoing some sort of renovation to host matches, this was briefly put aside because it has been let out to a construction company to parked its equipment.
The Ntaafi proximity stadium is not yet ready years after it was promised to be delivered. Beside FECAFOOT looks at the stadium unfavorably due to it’s supposed dimension and surrounding.
With all these complications, could there be a hidden hand somewhere who does not want football to return to Bamenda? And if there is what could be the reason, to punish elite clubs, the population or destroy Northwest Football.
Officials of PWD of Bamenda thinks there is such a hidden hand blocking the return of teams to Bamenda
Initially the Bamenda municipal stadium was barred from used since April 20, 2016 following Prime Potomac failed adventure to build an Olympic stadium for reasons that there was an injunction. An injunction that no one has been able to present up till this date.
With all this complications, one can easily conclude that the Bamenda man’s problem is the Bamenda man. Or how else can one comprehend that there are dark forces trying to prove that football is not practicable in Bamenda especially at the Mile VI stadium.
Our football is dying and may take a miracle to convince other teams to play in Bamenda further disadvantaging our teams. Why did young sport played without an incident, why have elite two teams being playing without an incident. Feminine and regional leagues have been played without such incidents.
But only when there was so much talk after failed attempts to use the municipal.stadium that we encountered such security issues. When elephants fight it’s the grass that suffer We rest out case with the hope that the joy of playing football in Bamenda will one day return to this our Beautiful Bamenda
