ACTUALITE |
06.02.2002
Cameroon shuns 4-star hotel for rubble-strewn dorm
BAMAKO
Cameroon became embroiled in a fiasco over accommodations at the African Nations Cup here Tuesday after snubbing the tournament`s official hotel for being too busy.
The reigning champions - who have played all their games in the tournament at the sleepy town of Sikasso, 500 kilometers outside Bamako - arrived in the Malian capital early Tuesday evening, 48 hours ahead of Thursday`s semifinals.
The Indomitable Lions, who play host nation Mali in the semis, had been booked into Bamako`s Hotel de l`Amitie (Friendship Hotel), a four-star establishment that boasts a swimming pool and a golf course.
The hotel has hosted several teams during the tournament, and Cameroon`s archrival Nigeria has used it as a base throughout its campaign.
However, Cameroon officials and German coach Winfried Schafer were aghast at the throngs of journalists, fans, and other onlookers that greeted them and told Nations Cup officials to find other accommodations.
Following the intervention of Cameroon sports minister Bidoung Kpwatt, who is traveling with the squad, the team was offered rooms at a dormitory complex, newly constructed for the tournament on the outskirts of Bamako.
But on arrival at the complex, which is strewn with piles of rubble and situated on a featureless stretch of dusty real estate, Cameroon`s players appeared to be less than impressed.
Skipper Rigobert Song emerged from his allotted villa with a teammate, complaining to Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Iya Mohamed that there was only one bed.
"Be patient, the site was only inaugurated a few days ago," Mohamed was heard to reply. Song was later seen with teammates carrying a bed from another building into his dormitory.
Meanwhile, FECAFOOT boss Mohamed insisted the team`s new, quieter living arrangements were a vast improvement on the bustling environs of the Hotel de l`Amitie.
"Did you see the other place? It was like a market in there," Mohamed told AFP. "There were women everywhere, people selling currency - it was just too busy for us.
"The coach wants somewhere quieter, where the players can concentrate and relax before the semifinal. This is better," he added.
Cameroon plays Mali at the March 26 Stadium Thursday.
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