League One last day relegation battles

The Cameroon League One has provided countless games of high drama, entertainment, joy and despair over the years.

The league this year that has been plague by strikes, delay in disbursement of financial grants, however was a bastion of quality, excitement, controversy and emotion with the drama this last day at the bottom of the table proving more alluring since position at the top is known.

Staying in League One is the main priority for every club that starts out each campaign, with the promises of making the league better each year, failure to maintain will see clubs losing some financial support given by the government.

And so it has proved, with the likes of Tiko United and PWD Bamenda dramatic fall from grace illustrating how perilous relegation can be for a club.

This year’s relegation will be one of the toughest as four clubs will be expected to drop in order to bring back the number of clubs at the top flight from 19 to 18.

So tight is the struggle to avoid relegation that, as things stands, four teams cannot be assured of avoiding relegation at 17:30 on November 30.

With that in mind here is a brief glimpse of which teams are still in the shake-up at the bottom of the table, their end-of-season run-ins and the reasons for their fans to be cheerful and fearful for their clubs' League One status.

Canon of Yaounde With just 11 wins,6 draws and 18 defeats, the legendary club that has been plague by leadership struggle within the ranks of the executive, will be looking for that vital win or draw that will see them escape relegation.

Presently at the 14th position with 39 points, Canon are not safe as a win from Scorpion(38pts) and Njalla Quan (36pts) will see Canon of Yaounde relegated. They will be facing mid-table side, Panthere of Nde away in Bangante.

Scorpion of Be The guys of Be who had been struggling to find form since the start of the season, will be going in for their much needed victory when they faced guaranteed 3rd place side Unisport of Haut Nkam away in Bafang. They will be facing an opponent that has nothing to lose. A victory will see them stay in the top flight next year as they will pick up three points to add to the 38, to see them escape relegation with 41 points. Also, they might hope that Njalla Quan (36pts) and Renaissance (36pts) both lost or draw so they could maintain their position on the log.

Njalla Quan Sports Academy, NQSA One of the two representatives of the people across the Moungo, will fight tooth and nail to maintain their stay and also pray that Canon and Scorpion both lost. The Limbe population and the Southwest Region in general will be on their knees and keep their fingers cross when 16th place NQSA (36pts) faces 5th place Astres of Douala in Douala on the last day of play. The Limbe side needs nothing but a win and then hopes that Scorpion (38pts) draw of lost, while Canon (39pts) lost so they could stay in League One next year on goal advantage.

Renaissance of Ngoumou The boys of Renaissance FC of Ngoumou just like NQSA, will also be hoping that with their goal advantage of -13 and a win in their last game against Union of Douala in Douala, a draw in Scorpion's(-26) game and a defeat suffered by NQSA will see them maintain in League One football.

Already relegated are Sable of Batie and Douala Athletic Club, DAC.

Classification after day 37 of play

1 Coton sport 72 points

2 Cosmos 66 pts

3 Unisport 64 pts

4 Apejes 59 pts

5 UMS 57 pts

6 Astres 57 pts

7 New stars 56 pts

8 Bamboutos 55 pts

9 Fovu 47 pts

10 Panthère 47 pts

11 Union 47 pts

12 Yong sport 44 pts

13 Tkc 41 pts

14 Canon 39 pts

15 Scorpion 38 pts

16 Renaissance 36 pts

17 Njalla Quan sport 36 pts

18 Sable 29 pts

19 Douala athletic club 19 pts