The tournament kicked off on Sunday – despite the parking squabble and safety concerns – the Africa Cup is about to begin

On Sunday, YB star Moumi Ngamaleu and his Cameroonian national team colleagues are serious: The “indomitable lions” receive at the start of the Africa Cup of Burkina Faso in the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé.

In addition to Ngamaleu, eleven other players were called up for the tournament at the beginning of the year, who earn their money in the Super League or the Challenge League. The former FCZ and Sion warrior Pa Modou writes a very unusual story.

The 31-year-old defender is now playing interregional football at FC Dietikon in the second division, but is still traveling to the Africa Cup with Gambia and even as a captain. With Saidy Janko (Gambia) and Seny Dieng (Senegal), who were born in Zurich, there are also two players in Cameroon who also have a Swiss passport.

In the run-up to the African continental championship, debates about the obligation to park players, concerns about the Omikron wave and armed conflict in Cameroon made headlines. In England in particular, not all members of the Premier League club are happy to have to leave their players for several weeks.

Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, in particular, has repeatedly expressed his displeasure at the fact that he has to do without three top performers in several games because of the Africa Cup with Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mané (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea).

Other voices demand more recognition for the tournament. Ex-YB coach Gernot Rohr was Nigeria’s national coach until recently and says: “The Africa Cup deserves more respect. In terms of its sporting value and its popularity in Africa, the tournament is a highlight in international football for me ».

England international Ian Wright was on the same page as Rohr and spoke of a “racist” discussion. “Is there any other tournament that is as little respected as the Africa Cup?” Asked the former Arsenal star rhetorically.

The worries of Klopp and his professional colleagues are not diminishing, since the highly contagious Omikron variant does not stop at Cameroon either. A country in which, according to ARD, not even three percent of the population are vaccinated. The tournament should actually have taken place in 2021, but was then postponed for a year due to the pandemic. This year the stadiums are to be used to 80 percent for Cameroon games and 60 percent for all other games – access is only available to vaccinated people with a negative test.

In addition to the debates about player shutdowns and Corona, the tournament will continue to be burdened by the unclear security situation. The north of Cameroon has been rocked by unrest and attacks on the civilian population for years after separatists announced in late 2016 that they would split off and found a new country. Violent clashes have been the order of the day in parts of Cameroon and have strengthened security measures in the venues.