Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)
Irene Morikang
29 December 2003
The Coton weavers also topped the national division I football championship for 2003.
Excellent! This best describes Coton Sport's performance this season. The team created in 1986 dominated the football scene within and out of the country this season. After losing the finals of the CAF Cup, the Garoua boys galvanised their energies at the national level and finished first on the National Division I league table. This secured them a place in next year's CAF Champions league. The team however refused to lie on its laurels. Yesterday, they added one more diamond to their crown by grabbing the Cup of Cameroon for the first time. They take over from Mont Cameroon of Buea.
The Cup of Cameroon was the only national title missing from Coton's rich CV. In effect, since it's creation in 1986 and ascension into Division I football in 1993, the cotton weavers came close to taking home the Cup of Cameroon once. This was in 1999 when they lost to Canon of Yaounde in the finals. The team has however shown it's prowess in the national championship. Coton has been four times champions of Cameroon (1997, 1998, 2001 and 2003) and five times vice-champions. At the international scene, Coton has been twice quarter finalists of the CAF Cup (1997 and 2000) and finalist of the CAF Cup this year.
The road of the Cup of Cameroon was relatively easy for coach Lamine Ndiaye's boys. It white-washed Rafale of Tibati 9 - 0 at the 16th finals and outplayed Unisport 3-1 at the 8th finals. The quarter finals matches against Fovu of Baham were tight. Coton beat Fovu 2 - 0 in the away match and succumbed to Fovu 2 - 0 in the return match. During the semi finals, the Cotton weavers virtually walked over Tonnerre of Yaounde. It beat the Mvog Ada boys 1 - 0 in the away match and gave them a 2 - 0 spanking in the return match.
Coton Sport is the third team, after Canon and Tonnerre of Yaounde, to win the Cup of Cameroon and National Championship in the same year.
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