By Bakah Derick
The 2015
professional football league awards that held last Saturday September 26, 2015
in the conference hall of one of Cameroon's popular hotels was another event
that had to put on the public market place the anglophone problem in Cameroon.
Away from the stage managed bilingual presentation whose produce remains
unclear was the maltreatment of the lone anglophone division one team in
Cameroon as at now: Yong Sports Academy YOSA after the relegation of Njalla
Quan Sport Academy of late Henry Njala Quan.
Ahead of the
award a list of nominees was made public signed by the General Secretary of the
professional league T.P Manguele YOSA was nominated as one of the three fair
play teams in the professional league awards alongside Tonnerre Football Club
and Dragon FC of Yaounde.
This might
have just been one of the reasons why the President General of YOSA Yong Jack
braved all the transportation cost even when the league had no transport to
provide to get to Yaounde.
Not
withstanding HILLTOPVOICES decided to take a trip for the event with all the
hopes that at least Bamenda will be on the lamp light as announced. When we
entered the event ground and finally a sitting place was provided, here lies
the press kit. Since no one signed the press kit in my mind I still thought it
could be a mistake since the document earlier circulated was signed by the
General Secretary of the league. But then the fair play nominees on the press
kit in circulation now read Tonnerre Kallara Club, Union Sportive of Douala and
Cotonsport of Garoua. YOSA and Dragon were no where to be found.
As I waited
to see if it was a mistake, Martin Camius started the presentation. Unlike
other categories, no presentation of nominees was done for the fair play
category. As if it was a technical error the producers of the project fugited
with a few things only for Camius to be the one to announce that relegated
Tonnerre Kallara Club of Yaounde had won the fair play award.
However to
be fair enough Tonnerre had the right to win the fair play award noting that
they recorded a total number of 34yellow cards this season and that was the
lowest number. Dragon had one more and YOSA had two yellows more than TKC. By
that they were the right teams to appear on every official document relating to
fair play in Cameroon for the first Division championship and not Union that
ended with 41 yellow cards and Cotton with 47.
When it came
to the nominees for best goal keepers where National Polytechnic's Alana Da
Silva was contesting, the announcers read University of Ngoundere. In fact for
the over two hours that i sat in Hilton noting was mentioned of clubs from the
Northwest.
Permit me to indicate here that away from Cotonsport
and her means to fly around the country, no team in Cameroon spends more money
in travelling expenses like teams from the Northwest Region.
 |
| Yanki Joseph Golden Ball winner LFPC 2015 |
Out of the
18 football teams in Cameron that took
part in the 2015 league One season at least 12 play not less than 300km away
from the Northwest Region. While these teams will travel just ones to the
Northwest region a season, YOSA had to practically do 300km averagely four
times every month on very bad roads. Away from the long distance travel, the
president of the club has to cough out huge sums every week for players lodging
and feeding. It is the same for Ngoketunjia FC just relegated and National
Polytechnic that just survive relegation from the National division two. Naturally
these teams needed some recognition for crying out loud.
It was however
very fulfilling to watch young Yanki Joseph Agbor who hails from the Southwest
region and plays for Cotonsport of Garoua receive the golden ball as Cameroon's
best player of the season.
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| Yanki Joseph and Yong Jack YOSA President atb LFPC 2015 |
Though he missed out recruiting the player for his club,
Yong Jack joined Agbor in celebrating his fortune. Not just did he receive the best
player award, he was also awarded most promising player of the season.
For
President General Piere Semengue of professional football league to have
thought of rewarding excellence he deserves some appreciation. Everyone was
beaming with smiles as sign of satisfaction. Hope it continuous.
Winners
League 1
Cotonsport Champions
received a cheaque of CFA 20milion
1 VC Union sportive
= 15milion
2 VC New Stars
= 10milion
3 VC
Botafogo FC = 6milion
4 VC Apeges
of Mfou = 4milion
Highest goal
scorer: Ebah Tobie New stars
Best
goalkeeper : Hugo Patrick Nyame Botafogo
Best Coach: Siewe
Joseph Union of Douala