Recipes for a revolution in Cameroon

Eugene Ateh and his friends couldn’t contain their emotions as they watched the Indomitable Lions devour the flamboyant Maradona-led defending champion Argentina, on this bright Friday evening of June 8 1990 in a cafeteria at Ibadan.

A festive throng of tens of thousands of people turned the streets and bars in Lagos, Bamenda, all over Europe, Douala and Yaounde into a sea of Green Red Yellow, to celebrate this victory.

Few events bring a country together. Football has played such an important role in mending rifts between the different linguistic and ethnic groups in this beloved country. The national team means a lot to this country. I personally find fascinating, soccer’s ability to create a national identity, the sense of national pride, and national unity. It is against this backdrop of soccer nationalism that something revolutionary has to happen in Cameroon.

Many Cameroonians tend to drown their political and economic sorrows in the euphoria of the victories of our National Team. Though this team cannot make the crisis go away, it’s managed to provide a level of joy and inspiration that goes well beyond what sports can produce in normal times, much to the appreciation of the regime in place.

All the talk in Cameroon changes from politics to soccer. In a soccer-mad country like Cameroon used to seeing its national team win even some disappointed hard core opposition militants are willing to recognize and acknowledge the psychological importance of such a victory. I feel sad, but it’s true that soccer has turned into the opium of the people here. It’s almost the only source of satisfaction with Cameroonians.

Lessons we can learn from soccer. While traveling through the villages in the Northwest, Southwest and West provinces I saw kids all over the place, just kicking around soccer balls and can’t stop but imagine, how beautiful Cameroon would be if democracy had gained foothold in the grass roots as soccer has done. The president has systematically concentrated all power in his own hands and in Yaounde leaving the rural folks in the villages hopeless.

After the humiliation of the Lions in the just ended world cup in Brazil, Cameroonians were looking forward to a National Commission to investigate and give some answers to restore some pride in the national team once more. We were betrayed. We turned to the modernization of FECAFOOT. Here again we are being betrayed.

As a strong soccer loving country, why aren’t we doing something about these? When asked why revolutions don’t happen in Cameroon, a number of reasons are typically offered — we’re peace loving; we’re sedated by soccer and alcohol; our income levels are high enough that we feel buffered against chronic insecurity and hunger.

All of these reasons likely contribute. But is there a lynch pin that holds the broken edifice together? What would be the last straw that pushes the people to revolt? Let me share with you an instant recipe that has been baking the likelihood of a tasty revolution. Currently a highly educated, unemployable, well-articulated soccer loving homogeneous population whose national pride was hurt in Brazil, wounded by a fake commission of inquiry and is being bled by the FECAFOOT Normalization Committee.

Equipped with the newest communication technologies, a surge in nationalism wrapped up in anger and despair and removed from decision-making power in a time when our future is at stake makes this a powerful recipe for a revolution. With the current imbroglio at the FECAFOOT, being watched Nationally and Internationally another dish of revolution is almost cooked and is ready to be served. We must seize it now before we bid it farewell forever.

To reshape FECAFOOT, the edifice of the tradition that existed within that body has to be demolished and carefully rebuilt. If we let those who shot bullets into the hearts of our national pride escape responsibility, and turn around trying to be the saviour of FECAFOOT, it will be our shame for ever.

Tombi Roko and co are the architects of the current corrupt and dysfunctional FECAFOOT. He can’t and shouldn’t be part of a sustainable future of FECAFOOT. Soccer is a game which honors a spirit of fair play, rule of law, order, leisurely pace, and gentlemanly virtues, and I think these are traits which we expected the Normalization Committee to abide by.

If the current state of affairs doesn’t drive us as a country over the edge, then what would?

Who would lead this revolution? That person could have been me but instead I had decided to leave this lovely country that doesn’t deserve young talented and charismatic people like me, to further my studies and equip myself for the challenges ahead for the greater good of mankind. Is this being a chicken? It depends on your perspective.

All we need now is a visionary leader to arrange a massive rally for all football (soccer) loving Cameroonians, hold a procession an agenda garnished with patriotic verses and tempt the people to remember the glory days of their beloved football nation and promise a better future. Comparison with examples of Egypt and Burkina Faso will pump the blood in their veins.