By Bakah Derick
Group A no doubt will be home to host nation Cameroon. Instead of the emblematic Mfandena stadium, the Indomitable lions will run their group stage campaign in the new Olembe Stadium. Though still located in Yaounde, the five times African Champions hope to get something better than a final ticket on home soil after the 1972 experience. Cameroon will play in the Olembe alongside Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Ethiopia. The group will set the stage for the tournament on the evening of January 9, 2021 when Cameroon takes on Burkina Faso. Later that evening Ethiopia and Cape Verde will clash in a fixture each one of them hopes to win as not to hang their fate on the host nation. Ethiopian coach Wubetu Abate says he hopes to move beyond the group stages yet Cameroon is one team he considers difficult to overcome.
Aliou Cissé will be leading Senegal to the outskirt of the West Regional capital Bafoussam for their group B campaign. Together with Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi the battle will be at the Kouekong Stadium. This is not home to any of the teams and certainly only the best will progress. This Group's campaign begins on January 10, 2021 when Senagal takes on Zimbabwe. The West Region being part of Cameroon's grasfields reserves cultural tourism of it's class to her visitors. A completed transformed Bafoussam town, with outstanding hotels and culinary artists, AFCON 2021 in Bafoussam will certainly not be business as usual.
Mfandena or the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde will be home to Morocco Ghana, Gabon and debutants Comoros Island in group C. While Morocco and Ghana prepare to open the contest in the group with a tone setter, Comoros and Gabon will have an opportunity to set up the fight in the group. The doors of the refurbished Mfandena will open wide on January 10, 2021 for the showdown. Considered Cameroon's football temple, the visited will have to make home where only a house can be seen for now.
Seven time winners Egypt and one of the tournament's favourites the Super Eagles have to begin their campaign from the North of Cameroon. The Roumdé Adjia stadium in Garoua will host the continent's football power houses alongside Sudan and Guinea Bissau. The population in Garoua will have to wait till 5pm on January 11, 2021 to watch the first live AFCON fixture. The Ambassador of Nigeria to Cameroon has already notified Cameroon authorities of his country's intention to storm Garoua with a large crowd of supporters. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin visited home of long time CAF President Issa Hayatou declaring that it was a diplomatic offensive aimed at gathering massive support among the over five million Nigerians resident in Cameroon. The Sudanese were the second nation to touch down on Cameroon soil an action that translates their intention to go as far as possible in the tournament.
Cameroon's most economically active city Douala will host Group E in the very prestigious Japoma stadium. The group with Senagal, defending champions Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone will set the ball rolling on January 11 2021. A football temple compared to few other facilities in the continent like the Soccer city stadium in South Africa, the Japoma will be offering her host no reason to complain over pitch quality and related logostics as everything therein is still in the best state. The defending champions and two times winners will be expected to be at their best just like Ivory Coast that played Cameroon in their killed world cup campaign this year. The hospitality of the Douala people is expected to shine the light for Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone thus making the contest a litrle challenging to draw the line for favourites.
The City of Friendship Limbe shall host Group F. Tunisia, the Gambia, Mali and Mauritania will play at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium in Ngeme with the comfort to train in top class pitches like the Middle Farms, Muliko and Centenary stadiums. The sea side resort town could easily turn her visitors to tourists should they give her the opportunity. From the weather, food and people, Limbe reserves an amazing and unique experience to the contestants and visitors.
From Yaounde, to Bafoussam Douala, Limbe and Garoua, the football feast promises and reserves a reach mix of cultural diversity, unmatched support and hospitality.