Colourful soccer fans in Yaounde out in numbers despite Covid

Painted from head to toe with the colours of the Cameroon flag, Ngando Pickett danced his way to the Olembe stadium followed by his marching band to support the Indomitable Lions as they took on Ethiopia on Thursday (January 13).

Despite the strict covid rules to enter the stadiums during the Africa Cup of Nations and fears that separatist militants might disrupt the competition, the group of supporters following Pickett say that soccer unites the people of Cameroon, so they are not worried.

"Soccer unites the people of Cameroon when there is soccer everything stops and everyone is behind the Lions and happy to support the Indomitable Lions and we know that we'll win in the end because we want to keep the AFCON here," said Paulin Herve Ndjag.

Groups of supporters from other parts of the continent have also been rehearsing their moves in order to support their national teams despite a few absentees due to the pandemic.

Alice Kone, a Burkina Faso supporter, says the team still needs support so they are doing just that despite a diminished group.

"We have to say that Covid impacted the team a lot because our mascot, our mama, a lot of supporters did not come. But despite this we try to make do, we know it's not easy, we try to make do so we can support our national team to help them win," she said.

But since the start of the competition, most games have been played in near-empty stadiums with many fans opting to either stay at home or enjoy the celebrations in packed 'Fan Zones" which do not require a vaccination certificate or a negative test to enter.

"A lot of people wanted to go to the stadium but because the information was that vaccination was compulsory to get in, a lot of people preferred to stay home and watch TV. Many don’t know what it is, they don’t know what will be injected in their bodies. But a number of people wanted to go to the stadium, that's why we have empty stadiums, it's the truth," said Cameroon supporter, Nicola Abena.

In the end, Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi scored twice each as hosts, Cameroon put one foot in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations with a thumping 4-1 victory over Ethiopia, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

All around Yaounde small groups of supporters are watching their teams compete whether in a packed square or in a small neighbourhood shop, just like Senegalese supporter Touba Fall who swears he will attend his team's next game in Bafoussam.

"It's a little difficult but for the second game, we'll be there, because we are here so we have to make the effort to go to the stadium to give our team morale. If we stay to watch the games on TV it's not good, you see how the stadiums are empty.

“So we have to make the effort to go, it's our country, we love our country, we will go, we will get vaccinated to go to the stadium, whatever happens, we'll get vaccinated and go to the stadium," he said after Sadio Mane scored a winning penalty at the last second against Zimbabwe.