Leocadia Bongben
3 November 2008
Cairo — Cotonport of Garoua, Sunday, November 2, lost to Al Ahly of Cairo, Egypt 0-2 in the first leg finals of the African Champions league.
Despite Al Ahly's large domination of the match, Egyptians had, in their traditional style, intimidated and caused Cotonsport psychological trauma. Besides the hostile reception, Cotonsport played an experienced and professional team, in front of a 70,000 man-crowd that, arguably, acted as the twelfth player.
Upon arrival in Cairo, Thursday, Cotonsport players and officials were greeted by intimidation as they met a hostile reception at the Cairo International Airport. The Cameroonian delegation had to pay 50 dollars per person for them to be released from their plane. The representative of Al Ahly claimed they could not support extra charges and he said that they should have taken a commercial flight.
Though the situation was attributed to lack of communication between Al Ahly, Cotonsport and the Cameroonian Embassy in Egypt, a Cameroonian student in Egypt suggested that there was a strong possibility that this was a ploy to demoralise the players.
According to testimonies from Cameroonians in Cairo, matches here are won outside the stadium. That is, a ploy is employed to intimidate and demoralise the visiting team thereby dampening their spirit and consequently their performance.
The camping of Cotonsport, 90km from Cairo, after the two-hour hostage at the airport, equally played on the psychology of the players. Though Al Ahly is not the favourite of Egyptians, like Zamaleck, they are forced to support the team for national pride.
However, Cotonsport was lodged in the Olympic Village with the walls of the hotel caressing the Suez Canal. They had two training sessions after their arrival in Cairo, Thursday, at the Sheraton Helipolis where they are lodged.
Meanwhile, the players had to train in the Cairo International Stadium which was not marked and Cotonsport Coach Alain Oumbleon did not hide his disappointment as he had to complain bitterly to the representatives of Al Ahly.
The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Thierry Edjoa, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday afternoon, addressed the players and urged them to be strong in the face of intimidation. Ahead of the game he intimated that the Cotonsport would win by 1-0.
There was a strong mobilisation of Cameroonians in Egypt, looking at the initial 1000 tickets they requested for. The tickets were said to be sold at 100 Egyptian pounds, the equivalent of about FCFA 85,000. However, the expected 1000 tickets were subsequently scaled down to 300.
Following Sunday's defeat, Cotonsport is condemned to beat Al Ahly in Garoua on Sunday, November 16, scoring three goals without conceiving any. Since Cotonsport has a record of winning its matches at home, fans still nurse hopes that Cotonsport could turn the table and lift the trophy for the first time.
Echoes From Egypt: Cairo, A Rolling Stone
Cairo, the capital of Egypt with a population of about 22 million, with one of the seven wonders in the world; the pyramids, the Nile river running through the city, seems to be a rolling stone as visitors have the impression they are moving round and round.
The town is so sophisticated with tunnels and flyovers and double carriage streets that the visitor cannot avoid to notice. For reporters whose trip were facilitated by MTN to get from one part of the town to the other, pieces of papers with destinations written in Arabic were handed to the taxi driver.
HIV/AIDS Positive Foreigners Deported From Egypt
Reports have it that foreigners who are HIV/AIDS positive are deported from Egypt immediately when the test is conducted. According to a Cameroonian student in Egypt, once you are tested positive, you are bundled back to your country of origin without time for necessary arrangements.
The student revealed that for foreigners, HIV/AIDS tests are carried out yearly. The student maintained that this is the reason behind the renewal of residence permit every year with the test an obligation.
While the international community is condemning discrimination and stigmatisation, it is a shame that some persons lose what they have laboured for in years because they are tested positive.
Though it is not said what happens to Egyptians who are positive, it is a known secret that homosexuality is a bane in this country, and there are indications that the virus can be transmitted through this route.
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