Despite huge contribution to growth of football, North West remains most neglected region

The dust raised by the just-ended FECAFOOT election has finally settled, yet the North West has remained the most neglected region in Cameroon football.

The region has always participated effectively in division one and two championships in the country with teams like Yong Sports Academy, PWD of Bamenda, and a plethora of football clubs in the female and inferior leagues.

Even the new bureau put in place by the Eto’o administration has offered only one position for the North West region while regions like the North with no football club in the first and second divisions have two places.

The North West region has no football stadium. Clubs in the region are forced to train in private and denominational infrastructures like the Yong Francis Arena in Bambui and the Big Mankon Cathedral Field.

The Bamenda Municipal Stadium in Mankon, which previously hosted league matches, has been closed for years after Prime Potomac abandoned construction works on the 2500-seat capacity stadium.

Shortly after the election of Samuel Eto’o,
many Bamenda city dwellers have been raising concerns about seeing football infrastructure in the region developed.

According to Joseph Ntum, a supporter of PWD Bamenda, he is disappointed that his team can only train and play on borrowed pitches.

“I’m disappointed that my team can only use the Cathedral Field, YOSA, or the University of Bamenda pitches. Why can we not have the main field which is at the center for all matches? I think the Eto’o administration should do something in this light,” he said.

Another supporter of YOSA, Evelyn Nyom, says the absence of government-developed football infrastructure in the region totals to the marginalization of the region and the Anglophones.

“We have good pitches in almost all French regions, yet we do not hear of teams there. The government has just decided to perpetually marginalize this town and those who live in it.”

The North West region with active football teams in all Division one, two, and three leagues can only dream that one day, the region will be compensated with a good football pitch or pitches for animating football in the country for many years.