World Cup 2014: Bad times to be Eto’o

It’s hard to make a generic statement about the role of football in African countries without sounding shallow. But as a Cameroonian, born, bred and resident, I can confidently and factually say football in Cameroon is a religion in whose doctrines Cameroonians believe, in whose shrines they pray even if they are in ruins, and whose prophets we adore. No other prophet has been adored and even worshipped with more blind devotion than striker Samuel Eto’o.

                          Since bursting unto the world footballing scene in the early 2000s with Spanish side Real Mallorca, he has commanded the loyal fanship of almost all football loving Cameroonians. The devotion has been so great that each time he has moved to a new club, he has dragged along a mammoth congregation of followers who have also changed their club allegiance just like their idol. He has become a god and like most mortal gods, Eto’o has often missed his strides: remember May 30, 2008 when he head-butted a journalist. Back then and despite other wrongs, both rumoured and verified, Eto’o has benefitted from the immense goodwill he has been stocking over years with his on-pitch performances.But with this 2014 World Cup in Brazil and on the heels of two defeats, one against Mexico where he was missing though in action and the mulling against Croatia wherein injury prevented him from making the cut, the Chelsea forward seems to have completed depleted the goodwill he built and enjoyed almost unquestionably. With rumours and visible signs of unrest in the den, the player has come under bitter and sometimes unfair criticism for his absent presence and the overall poverty of output from the often hailed Indomitable Lions. The intensity and consistency of these criticisms have left many wondering why Eto’o? Why is Eto’o so criticised although the slightest attempt at objective inquiry will readily provide more reasons, besides Eto'o, for the inability of the Lions to roar, talk less of exacting submission from any of their foes so far.  Well, two reasons can credibly explain this situation.

                              Against the backdrop of the above portrait, Samuel Eto’o is undoubtedly the first reason for the criticism being heaped on him. Surely if he could choose, he would have preferred to put in match-winning plays rather than be an impotent act in a play of defeat. However despite all his good wishes, his inability to deliver performances when compared to his past exploits, especially at club level, have justifiably given reason to more and not just some people to hurl criticism at him. For diehard fans, the easy culprit has been his injury and since it can’t talk it is guilty as charged. But in the injury’s defence, it must be said that even before being called up to team for the World Cup, he was nursing this injury while with his English side Chelsea. For a player who intends to carry on playing professionally, wasn’t it prudent for him to throw in the towel for the long term sake of his career instead of endangering his future for a one-month fling with possible glory? Forgive his critics for they may not know who they are criticising but isn’t this Samuel Eto’o the same who is the leading all- time scorer at the African Nations Cup? Isn’t he the guy who has accustomed the Cameroonian public in general to awe-drawing performances that brought Olympic glory in 2000, AFCON glory in 2000 and 2002 as well as a finalist spot at the 2003 Confederations Cup? In simple terms, Eto’o is a victim of his past prowess. Since he accustomed his Cameroonian fans to quality and praise in return, they can be forgiven for criticising when he is below par.

                     Secondly the striker is equally the victim of the continued unofficial competing comparison between Drogba and himself amongst the public. Since the mid -2000s when both players were at the height of their careers, there has been an unrelenting debate, started and fuelled by fans and pundits alike, as to who is the better of both strikers. In this  sometimes objective and often times sentimental debate Drogba has come out on top successively when the measuring rod has been their spate with their national teams, which officialdom would want to constitute the enduring legacy of every player. Circumstances have come to the Ivoirian’s aid; he inspired his country to their maiden World Cup in 2006, providing the nation with a unifying factor when it was plagued by war. Such a context amplifies and gives added prominence beyond the world of sports to a fit with which Eto’o too can credited but which has been blighted severely and erased from collective memory by the Lion’s own doing. So since Cote d’Ivoire just like Cameroon qualified for this year’s World Cup and both players were selected by their respective teams, this debate has raged on. Comparatively again Samuel Eto’o, with his evasive presence in Cameroon’s one nil defeat to Mexico bowed to Drogba and his second half entry in their 2-1 victory over the Samurai Blue of Japan. As strange as it seems, Drogba won this latest match off although he came off from the bench and did not even score. His entry was credited with Cote d’Ivoire's eventual victory, just as in past deadlocks in which the Elephants’ have found themselves, proponents of this argument say. This is contrasted with the blandness of Eto’o’s on-pitch presence and his sometimes pervasive off pitch presence. Samuel Eto’o’s inability to walk away with a victory from this umpteenth unofficial standoff with his pal Didier Drogba is another reason for all the rotten eggs he is being pelted with.

                          Many other factors can account for the current fate of the Indomitable Lions and Samuel Eto'o. There is even an aspect of scapegoatism in Samuel Eto’o’s fall from grace in the eyes of the Cameroonian public. There is also an aspect of frustration as Cameroonians seem fed up with Eto'o's shortcomings. This criticism could be nothing more than a manifestation of this frustration which emanates from Eto'o's depletion of all the goodwill he had left. We could go on and on with the guessing. Whatever the case, he deserves some of the blame not just because he is the great Samuel Eto’o but because he is one of the eleven.  Most importantly he deserves some blame because he is one of the few Cameroonian players to have benefitted the most from the goodwill of Cameroonians. Isn’t it said to whom much is given, much is expected? Samuel Eto’o is a big boy and rather than lash out and challenge his critics to a duel he should spread his shoulders as wide as possible to bear as much responsibility as he can. Those are the same shoulders he has been using to carry all the praise heaped on him. Right?

French husband murders his Cameroonian wife, burns her body

 According to reports relayed by a Swiss regional daily, a Cameroonian lady, Line T.S., was murdered and her body badly burnt by her French husband, Gregory T.. The murder allegedly took place as far as back as January 17, 2014.  Amid suspicions of infidelity, the husband confronted  his wife. This spark a quarrel in which the man accidentally, in his opinion, strangled his wife to death. In an attempt to prevent their two children, 11 and 6 respectively, from stumbling on the lifeless body of their mother, he hide the body under a chair before returning to work. To ease transportation, he later folded the body, put it into a bag and drove to a highway where he burnt the body in the woods, using a methylated spirit. Reports state that body almost burnt completely as only a leg was still in tact. Had it not been for the victims' fingerprints, taken previously during a domestic violence incident, the charred remains of the victim would not have been easily identifiable. 

                     In addition to the charge of premeditated murder hanging over his head, the accused husband might also be charged with defiling a corpse given the position in which he set the body: exposed and legs spread facing the road.
                    The 30 year old victim and her 37 year old husband apparently met online where the relationship blossomed and she moved to France to meet him.

Former STV G.M. to create Pan-African television

After a seven year stint as General Manager of Spectrum Television, Cameroon, from 2003 to 2007, Senegalese Macta Silla had been tipped to take over the reins of the Senegalese national broadcasting station. However this will certainly not be the case as he recently announced in Libreville, Gabon that he was going to launch a Pan-African television and radio station that will broadcast from Gabon. He made this announcement on the sidelines of the New York Africa Forum being held in the Gabonese capital Libreville. He stated that the goal is to "create and offer, from Gabon initially and later from elsewhere in Africa, a platform that will be both a catalyst and a relay that projects the positive strides being accomplished in Africa. Our staff will have to work in a bid to enable  Africa and Africans articulate their views and perspectives about our continent and contemporary society."

                              Before serving as General Manager of Spectrum Television in Cameroon, he had worked at international broadcasting houses like TV5 and national stations like Senegal's RTS from where he was surprisingly shown the door in 2002 by Senegal's then Head of State Abdoulaye Wade. With over 32 years working in the world of television, Mr Macta Silla has by this latest venture taken on a challenge which going by his professional credentials he can, and Africa hopes, overcome brilliantly. It is worth noting that he is additionally an University scholar with expertise in Law, Letters and English Literature.

Wimbledon 2014 prize money increased

Players taking part in this year's Wimbledon Tennis Championship will notice a considerable increase in their take home package as the overall prize fund has increased by 10.8% to £ 25m. Unlike last year's winners, the 2014 winners in men and women's singles will take home £1.76 m.  First round losers will earn £ 27,000 unlike £11,500 in 2011. This increase is expected to mainly favour early losers who fail to go beyond the third round. Wimbledon Chairman Philip Brook stated that emphasis has been laid on the large group of players who need help the most and that his organisation is trying to stay competitive on the world with regards to what is happening at other Grand Slams.

           It is worth stating that this latest development represents a steady trend of prize money increase at Wimbledon. In 2013 the total prize money increased by 40%  to stand at £22.6m, representing an increase of £6.5m as compared to 2012.  This increase it must be noted in cross-cutting as it equally includes the other categories like doubles.

            Some former players and observers have welcomed this increase given that it will players  cater for the growing expenses of  top level tennis.

World's tallest building accolade set to change owner

In the today's world of the grand, grandiose and extravagantly grandiose, Saudi Arabia is set to become the host country of the world's tallest building if construction work on the 1 km tall Kingdom Tower is completed by its 2018 due date  in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to Saudi media reports, the super skyscraper is estimated to cost 1.23 billion USD, have 200 floors. 5.7 million square feet of concrete and  80,000 tons of steel will estimately be used to build it.

                Upon completion the Kingdom Tower will leapfrog the Burj Khalifa -826 metres- in Dubai and claim a long list of accolades amongst which is the coverted world's tallest building tag. Other iconic megaskycrapers that are now set to stand in the shadow of this new engineering fit include the World Financial Centre in Shanghai - 492 metres-, the ICC in Hong Kong -484 metres, Dubai Towers - 437 metres and  the Freedom in New York City-417 metres. The celebrated Eiffel Tower utterly pales in comparison, standing at just 324 metres.

             Co-designed by the same architect who came up with the Burj Khalifa, this latest gargantuan testament to human ingenuity will have 58 lifts to choose from, each travelling at 10 metres per second, a Four Seasons hotel, luxury apartments, A-grade office space and the world highest observatory.
             The construction project is said to be funded by Bin Laden Group, founded by Osama Bin Laden's father. It is spearheaded by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal who has been quoted as saying the tower is meant to "send a message of strength" about Saudi Arabia stability and foster the latter's " presence in the international arena"

Cameroon's 2009 Freedom to Create award winner passes away

Media reports state that ace Cameroonian musician and political critic Lambo Sandjo Pierre Roger popularly known as Lapiro de Mbanga has passed away in the USA where he took up residence since 2012. The reports further state that the singer died yesterday March 16, 2014 from a brain tumour that had apparently appeared while he was imprisoned at the New Bell prison in Cameroon.

The artist had become a notable figure of the Cameroonian socio-political scene for his satire- ladden lyrics and criticism of the government. In September 2008, he was handed a three year prison term for allegedly inciting violence and looting during the February 2008 hunger strikes that rocked Cameroon. 

In 2009, he was nominated by Danish NGO FreeMuse for the Freedom to Create Award which he ultimately won the same year. He was released from prison on April 8, 2011 after fully serving his three year sentence. He received asylum in the USA and moved there with his family in September 2012 where he passed away yesterday.

At the time of his death, he is also reported to have been looking for a publisher for his rather ominously titled  book "Politico-Judicial Cabal or the Planned Death of a Freedom Fighter"(translation). His death has robbed the Cameroonian musical scenery of an artistic activist.

When having breasts would no longer be enough

The 2014 edition of the International Day of the Woman was celebrated seven days ago. Although women were already being celebrated unilaterally in some countries - like America where the first National Women’s Day was held on February 28 in honour of the 1908 garment worker’s strike- and by some parties – like The Socialist International in 1910, worldwide multilateral celebration of women folk only become an international reflex as from 1975 when the UN declared the year the International Year of the Woman and started celebrating March 8 as the international day of the woman.

As offspring of Western intercourse with the rest of humanity, most African countries including my beloved Cameroon, perpetuate the tradition come every March 8. But conversely this is done with an extra splash of colour, popular fanfare and unfortunately excess. (I would have loved to say in all African countries but what do I know so I’ll keep to Cameroon.)

Unfortunately, as I said earlier, in Cameroon, women’s day is always shackled by excesses and debauchery from the women folk. And   this year wasn’t any exception as I witnessed scenes of uninhibited public hip gyrating, dirty dancing and viral drinking from hitherto soft spoken and reserved fish roasting ladies, mothers, wives and buyam sellams*. For a second there I thought I was at a gathering of a thousand chocolate -coloured Miley Cyrus twerking but then again I saw no Robin Thickes propping their behinds. Don’t get me wrong or get it twisted. I am not saying or in any way suggesting that women, of a certain social setting, are unentitled to occasional fits of partying excessively. No and not at all. I am merely providing a premise for the following opinions:

1-      Contemporary celebration of the International Day of the Woman in Cameroon is a parody of the original intention. It is never a reflection of  each year’s theme which is always a footnote in the day’s plan. To prove my point, which women can readily state the 2014 theme?

2-      Contemporary celebration of the day is built on the fallacy that women even in Africa were always and constantly subjected and never venerated, which is a lie. In some traditional African communities - like the Kom in the North West Region of Cameroon - succession is matrilineal, meaning that women through their motherhood status were held in high esteem. Sure with our current blind replication of Western models of existence, realities like these are now under considered if they are at all.

3-      Women have wrongly interpreted what this day should mean. Rather than being a day for unrestrained indulgence, it should be one for a retrospective look at the road travelled so far and a preparatory assessment of the distance that remains for women to reach humandom bereft of any undermining considerations for their sex and gender.

In a strange sort of way, the greatest tragedy about current celebration and perceptions amongst women about the day is the narrow-minded sense of entitlement that has sprouted and taken root in the minds of some women. It manifests itself more evidently on the International Day of the Woman as hitherto submissive wives, girlfriends and women think this is that one day when they have an inalienable right to go out unchaperoned and take a deep plunge into the pool of life. It is their coming of age ceremony or Bar Mitzvah of sorts. It is another day when they think they are again entitled to something – temporal – called the ‘Womens’ day uniform. This begs the questions: do women think they are entitled to freedom only on the International Day of the Women; shouldn’t they use this day to show the world, by buying without financial aid, their women’s day uniform. Do they mean despite all the freedoms that have accrued to them that all year round they are free only one day?

I don’t know about you but for me current celebration and perception amongst women about the International Day of the Woman is an indication of the extensive mind surgery that has to be carried out on some women so that they can know that the International Day of Woman is a call to responsibility, autonomy and excellence addressed to women. It is font-size 100 reminder that in today’s world women must no longer be women, they can become humans should they choose to. It is most importantly a reminder to those women who don’t know it yet that in this world and that of tomorrow having breasts would no longer be enough as an excuse or a pass. And as such they should man up 24/7 and not just on the International Day of the Women.

P/S: By the way, this year’s theme is “Equality for women is progress for all.”

Buyam-sellam* is a Cameroon expression that refers to women who buy and retail foodstuff generally.