Cameroon: Yaoundé stays cool amid World Cup fever
Cameroon: Yaoundé is resisting World Cup fever. With the tournament just days away, the Cameroonian capital remains calm.
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«50-50 francs for the World Cup programme.» Jules, 23, calls out in a piercing voice as he weaves between the traffic at the Poste centrale junction, right in the heart of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. On a sunny Thursday morning, 17 November, the young street vendor is raring to go. His aim for the day: «to do better than yesterday's two meagre sales», he says.
Economic activity slows down
With just days to go until kick-off at the World Cup in Qatar, Jules's small business is struggling. «Usually», he says, «when there are international football competitions, match programmes sell well. But this year, business is struggling to get going. People don't seem interested.»
A graphic designer by training, he is not the only one to have noticed. At the central market, Marc is looking glum at the entrance to his shop. The television seller is still waiting for his first customer of the week… in vain. «I even cut my prices in the hope of attracting as many customers as possible with the World Cup approaching», says the trader.
Well into his fifties, he thinks he knows the reasons for the situation: «The first reason must be that the big international French-language television channels have decided not to broadcast the matches. The other reason is certainly down to a lack of financial means.»
No fan zones or giant screens
Christelle, who owns a bar in the Damase district, has persuaded her neighbour to lend her his 43-inch screen solely for the days when Cameroon's national team are playing. «Business is slow at the moment. Buying a new television would be a bad investment. With life already hard enough, I'd rather put my savings into buying drinks.» With money tight, the businesswoman has not even planned to give the walls of her premises a fresh coat of paint. «I'm not expecting any particular atmosphere», she says bluntly.
On the city's main thoroughfares, World Cup fever is still not palpable. There is no sign of the build-up to the biggest event in world football. At a time when figures in the game are calling for everyone to unite behind Rigobert Song's side, local councils and private individuals have yet to put up giant screens or fan zones in the streets. And nothing suggests the situation is likely to change by Sunday.
Kigoum WANDJI