Cameroonnationalfootballteamcheeringafterwinningthe2017ACNCOURTESYPHOTOTHECameroonianplayerswentwildwithjoywhentherefereeblewthefinalwhistle,endingthematchagainsttheirEgyptianopponentswithanunexpected2-1win.Thusendedthe31steditionoftheAfricanCupofNations(ACN),whichtookplaceinGabonfromJanuary14toFebruary5,2017.
TheIndomitableLions,asCameroon’snationalteamisknown,beattheEgyptianteamandclinchedthecontinentaltitleforthefifthtimeintheirhistory.TheeventwastrulysymbolicfortheLions,whowerebeatentwotimesbefore-in1986and2008-intheACNfinalsagainsttheverysameEgyptianfootballteam.
Superiorbothfromatechnicalandphysicalpointofview,Cameroon,undertheleadershipofBelgiancoachHugoBroos,finallymanagedtodispelitsACN“jinx.”
ButtheLions’resoundingtriumphhidesamorebitterrealityofAfricanfootball.Inthisyear’sACN,asinthepreviousones,deeply-ingrainedsystemicproblemsonceagainsurfaced,undermininganotherwisefast-growingindustryanddistractingtheplayersfromkeepingtheireyesontheball.
Sameoldissues
EveniftheACNwastheoccasionofshowcasingtheprowessofthecontinent’sbestplayersandclubs,italsorevealedsomelong-termissuesthatwerealreadyknowntoundermineAfricanfootball,especiallyattheorganizationallevel.
InmanyAfricancountries,footballhasyettoreachatrulyprofessionallevel.PhilippeTroussier,aformerFrenchfootballerwhohasmanagedmanyAfricannationalteamssince1994,saysnationalfootballassociations’lackoffinancialresourcesanddisorganizationunderminenationalselectionandtheirteam-buildingability.
InterviewedbyFrenchdailyLeFigaro,Troussiersaidthatitisnotrareforplayerstohavetopersonallypresstheircountry’spoliticalauthoritiestoensuretheygetpaidtheirduesalaryduringacompetition.
Indeed,sucheventsarecommonintheworldofAfricanfootball,andsimilarsituationshaveoccurredagainatthemostrecentACN.OnJanuary7,theWarriors,asthenationalteamofZimbabweisknown,boycottedafarewelldinnerandrefusedtoboardtheircharteredplaneinthecapitalHarare,justhoursbeforethestartofthecompetition.Theplayersde-mandedhigherdailyallowancesandwinningbonuses,whichtheZimbabweFootballAssociationfinallyaccepted,accordingtoZimbabweandailyNewsday.
Similarly,playersoftheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongoboycottedatrainingsessiononJanuary13,demandingthepaymentofbonusespromisedbutneverpaidbytheCongoleseAssociationFootballFederation.
“It’sbeenthesamethingformanyyears.Wepreparewelltoplayourmatchesbutattheendoftheday,therearealwaysproblemswithbonuses,”teamCaptainYoussoufMulumbutoldhisfansonFacebook.
Accordingtoobservers,thislackoforganizationhasanegativeimpactontheperformanceofnationalteams.DuringthemostrecentACN,someofthefavoriteteams-suchasdefendingchampionIvoryCoast-wereallquicklyeliminatedfromthetournament,toeveryone’ssurprise.
InfrastructureboostHowever,noteverythingisgloomyintheworldofAfricanfootball.Whilefinancialandorganizationalissuesdonotshowsignofgoingaway,thingslookmuchbetterontheinfrastructureside.
Cameroon’sLionsclaimedvictoryinthe40,000-seaterAngondjeStadium,inLibreville,whichisrepresentativeofthelarge-scalemodernstadiumsthathaveemergedacrossthecontinent,adirectresultofChina’sgrowingroleintheAfricanfootballindustry.
Indeed,ofthefourstadiumsinwhichtheACN2017tookplaceinGabon,threewerebuiltbyChinesecompanies.Completedin2011bytheShanghaiConstructionGroup,theAngondjeStadiumissymbolicallydubbedtheStadiumofSino-GaboneseFriendship.
SincethefirstChinese-builtZanzibarAmaanStadiuminthe1970s,Chinahasbuiltmorethan50stadiumsacrossthecontinentin34countries,atrendthatsomeexpertshavecalled“stadiumdiplomacy.”
Inadditiontotheirmultifunctionalnature,these“turn-key”stadiumshaveplayedakeyroleintheorganizationoftheACN.Angola,EquatorialGuineaandGabon,whichorganizedtheACNin2010,2012and2017,respectively,allbenefitedfromthearchitecturalfeatsofChina.
Cameroon,whichhasbecomethehostcountryforthenextcompetitionfollowingthevictoryofitsLionsontheGaboneseturf,willcontinuethetradition.The2019ACNwillbeheldinthenew$75-millionBafoussamStadium,aprojectofChinaMachineryEngineeringCorp.(CMEC).
WangChunhao,ProjectManageratCMEC,saidthatwhileconstructingthestadium,theytookintoaccountlocalcharacteristicsofCameroon.
“Forthis20,000-seaterstadium,wehavechosenseatsinred,greenandyellowcolor,whicharethecolorsoftheflagofCameroon,”hesaidinastatementonthecompany’swebsite.
Growingexchanges
ItisnotonlycountriesthatbenefitfromthesestrongertieswithChina.Attheplayers’level,thegrowingChinesefootballmarketalsorevealsinterestingopportunities.
Indeed,whileAfricanplayershavetraditionallylookedtoEuropetopursuetheirinternationalcareers,Chinanowoffersthemattractiveopportunitieswithsometimesevenhighersalaries.
OneofthestarsofACN2017,CameroonnationalteamCaptainStéphaneMbia,signedwiththeHebeiChinaFortuneFootballClubinJanuary2016.
Heisnotthefirsttomaketheleap.In2012,ShanghaiShenhuamadeheadlinesbysigningfootballstarIvorianDidierDrogba,laterSenegaleseDembaBa(2015)andNigerianObafemiMartins(2016).Therewereabout20AfricansplayingintheChineseSuperLeague2015-16season.
TheChineseFootballAssociationrecentlymadechangestoquotasonforeignplayers,andnowamaximumofonlythreeforeignplayerscanbeonthefieldforeachclubatthesametime.
ButthisisunlikelytodampentheenthusiasmofAfricanplayersforthetantalizingsalariesandcareerdevelopmentopportunitiesthatChinaoffers,BurkinaFasoforwardBertrandTraoretoldBBCSport.
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