Supporters were encouraged to turn up to the Olembé Stadium in good time for the crunch between Cameroon and Egypt whose boss wanted the game to be a moment of bliss for the world. There followed a slight detour from the path to felicity.
Come all ye faithful
Supporters were exhorted to arrive early at the Olembé Stadium for the Cameroon v Egypt match of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Why? Because the last time there was a game at the arena in Yaouné eight people died and 38 were injured in a stampede of fans. But how early is early? Three and a half hours before kick-off, it was the security guards, stewards and volunteers who were lolling around. The VIP box was empty. Just over 24,000 came for the match at a stadium that holds 60,000.
Are you ready for combat soldier?
In the prelude to the game between Tunisia and Burkina Faso, the Tunisia assistant coach Jalel Kadri spoke of not having 28 players but 28 soldiers. Kadri is now commander-in-chief of the forces following the removal of Mondher Kebaier as motivator general. Samuel Eto'o - head of the Cameroon football federation - evidently took a leaf out of Kadri's battle manual. Just after the quarter-final win over Gambia, Eto'o went into the Cameroon dressing room to stiffen the fibre for the Egypt clash. "Prepare yourselves because this is going to be a war," Eto'o said. "That is how we need to approach this match. A war! You can't let this opportunity pass you by." While not quite in the Shakespearean realm of Henry V's St Crispin's Day speech before Agincourt, it was heading that way.
Cool it baby
We were led to believe that the Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz was no Portuguese man o' war. His line was clear. Wham? Bam? No thank you, Sam. "It was a very very, unfortunate comment because football is not about war," beamed St Carlos about Eto's wqar cry. "Football is about celebration, joy. "It's about happiness, We are here to please the people. We are not here to make people die. We are here to have fun, to have joy."
Should it be Carlos Querulous?
The Egypt coach was sent off for shouting abuse at the referee during the match against Cameroon.
