While the World Cup is fast approaching, the thermometer is slow to rise in the streets of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, which will take part in its eighth participation in this tournament.
"At 50 francs the World Cup program." Jules, 23, glides between the vehicles that come and go, at the place called Poste Centrale de Yaoundé, in the heart of the capital of Cameroon. On this sunny morning of Thursday, November 17, the young itinerant trader is on the attack. His goal for the day: "to do better than the two meager sales of yesterday," he says.
Economic activities slowed down
A few days before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, Jules' business is at half-mast. Usually," he says, "during international soccer competitions, the programs for the games sell well. But this year, the business is struggling to take off. People don't seem to be interested."
The computer graphics designer is not the only one to have made this observation. At the central market, Marc looks grim at the entrance to his store. This television salesman is waiting for his first customer of the week... in vain. "I lowered the prices in the hope to entice the maximum of customers in this approach of World Cup", says the shopkeeper.
The man, who is in his fifties, believes he knows the reasons for this situation: "The first reason must be linked to the fact that the major international French-speaking television channels have decided not to broadcast the matches. The other reason is necessarily related to the lack of financial means."
No fan zones, no giant screens
Christelle, owner of a bar in the Damase district, convinced her neighbor to lend her 43" screen exclusively for the days of the Cameroon team's match. "At the moment, business is slow. Buying a new TV set would be a bad investment. With life being hard enough, I prefer to spend my savings on buying drinks." Due to a lack of funds, the entrepreneur doesn't even plan to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls of her space. "I don't expect a special atmosphere," she says.
In the main streets of the city, the World Cup fever is still not perceptible. There is no sign of the great mass of world soccer. At a time when soccer players are calling for a sacred union behind Rigobert Song's men, town halls and individuals have not yet installed giant screens or fan zones in the streets. And nothing seems to indicate that the situation should change by Sunday.
