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The Public Works Department, PWD social club of Bamenda is fine-tuning measures ahead of her first march in the African Football Champion League against Kaiser Chiefs Football Club of South Africa. The match this Sunday, November 29, 2020, will take place in Limbe, South West of Cameroon.
This will be the first continental competition the Abakwa Boys will play since 2004 when the Bamenda-based football club participated in the CAF cup.
To put up a remarkable performance, in the absence of a local football championship in Cameroon, PWD of Bamenda has played fifteen friendlies home and abroad. At the continental level, Abakwa Boys played against Al Ahli Tripoli in Libya and Foutoru Kings of Mongomo in Equatorial Guinea. Back home, PWD participated in a solidarity competition in Yaoundé where it emerged in the third position according to Afeseh Apong, team press officer of PWD Bamenda.
The club coached by David Pagou has equally recruited more players to meet up with continental standards.
In all these, PWD of Bamenda has been battling alone financially. According to Afeseh Apong, PWD team press officer, speaking to Mimi Mefo Info Wednesday, November 25t, 2020 says “it will be shocking for Cameroonians to know that we have not had any support, neither from the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, nor from the Cameroon government since we began preparations for the champions league.”
He laments that receiving financial and material support from FECAFOOT and the government ought to be a right and not a favor. “We have laws in Cameroon that stipulate that once a club qualifies to represent Cameroon, it has to be given the same treatment as a national selection. But ironically, nothing as such has been done”.
That is not all,”… PWD of Bamenda won the 2019/2020 league one championship in Cameroon. Since then, her financial package has not been given. This is money that would have helped the team prepare for its continental assignments. It is only thanks to the efforts of the club president Pascal Abunde and other collaborators that the club is preparing,” Afeseh Apong adds.
“When a club goes continental, it creates openings for other clubs in the country if it performs well. Cameroon used to have four clubs on continental assignment – two at the African champion league and two at CAF cup. This has been reduced to two because of poor performance. For this season, just PWD of Bamenda and Coton Sports of Garoua are on continental assignment.”
Despite all these, the Abakwa Boys are determined to put up a remarkable performance as they begin their continental journey this Sunday.
Mbatho Ntan.
