{"id":1957,"date":"2022-10-26T09:57:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T09:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/237check.org\/?p=1957"},"modified":"2022-10-26T10:09:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T10:09:40","slug":"the-role-of-social-media-in-sports-for-peace-in-the-north-west-cameroon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/237check.org\/fr\/2022\/10\/26\/the-role-of-social-media-in-sports-for-peace-in-the-north-west-cameroon\/","title":{"rendered":"The role of Social Media in sports for peace in the North West Cameroon."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lendzemo Lakelle, #AFFCameroon Cohort 7 fellow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The North West region has five teams in the country’s professional football league. It has two \u2018elite one teams<\/em>\u2019, two \u2018elite two teams<\/em>\u2019 and a \u2018female elite team\u2019. Even<\/em> with this number, the North West region has no stadium of FIFA international standard or in other words, a befitting stadium. In 2017, Tombi Sidiki, President of FECAFOOT, launched a project to renovate the Bamenda Municipal Stadium after Cameroon won the Nations cup, but it has never been completed. Since the abandonment of the Stadium, elite teams home matches have been held at Yong Sports Academy playground and the Bamenda university stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From October 2016 the Northwest region has been plagued with the anglophone conflict. Part of the population maintains that the construction of a stadium will act as a catalyst to promote peace, as sports is a unifying factor in Cameroon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/yke6d57b<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Body<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sports lovers and residents of the Northwest region have been calling on the authorities to construct a stadium. They have used social media as a tool in their advocacy as seen in 2020, when sports ventures posted a picture of a famous sports journalist, Kouamo Arnaud, holding a placard with the message “we need a stadium in Bamenda”. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/3taupwx3<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly on 6th December 2021, Kosi Foot Talk, in a Facebook post reminded the successor of FECAFOOT that the Bamenda municipal stadium was abandoned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/yz5euh4w<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mimi Mefo also shared a post on social media platforms, talking about the Northwest region being neglected despite its massive contribution to the growth of football in Cameroon. https:\/\/mimimefoinfos.com\/despite-huge-contribution-to-growth-of-football-north-west-remains-most-neglected-region\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A chant dubbed “we need a stadium in Bamenda ” went viral when PWD of Bamenda<\/em> was locking horns with Astres of Douala<\/em> for the 2021 Cup of Cameroon. Football lovers from all parts of the North West region, who went  to support PWD Bamenda<\/em> Football club  in Yaounde during the cup of Cameroon, called on FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, who was voted into office on 11th December 2021, to provide a stadium for the Northwest  region. https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kosi_foottalk\/status\/1503013628894752772?t=reakj9XZI12PeLr0wIn1kQ&s=19<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/twifnews.org\/sports\/cameroon-cup-final\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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"We need a stadium in Bamenda," PWD Social Football Club fans write. https:\/\/t.co\/bybXxu5iF8<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4mgBy61opY<\/a><\/p>— Mimi Mefo Info (@MimiMefoInfo) March 13, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>