Holiday Football:

Papi London spoils Muea populations
- Puts FCFA 1 million worth trophy for grabs
By Sam Che alias Gaucher in Buea

Former footballer cum business tycoon and philanthropist, Elvis Kemanyang a.k.a. Papi London, has launched a twin football tournament in Muea, a popular quarter in Buea sub division. The two-phase launching took place on Monday July 6th with Mme Fule Kemanyang (Papi’s wife) giving the kick-off for the female football tournament at the GS Muea stadium, with close to 1000 spectators present.
    The match saw last year’s cup holders, Continental Girls FC white-washing new comers Lava Shutters FC by 6 goals to 1.
    Present among the spectators were former football greats in Buea including Atem Valentine, Batamoh Jonathan, Eric Nganje, Jacky Wose, Eugene Fomombod (all playing in Italy) and Karawah Ephesian who doubles as chairman of the organizing committee of the tournament.
Other members of the organizing committee include Prince Akwo Mukete, Kevin, Roland Ekokobe (Ayo’o de Londre) and Akematui Timah as resource person and technical adviser.
    The female tournament has four teams that will be battling to bag home the 500.000 frs cash price, as well as other interesting individual prices like the highest goal scorer, best player, most disciplined team, best goal keeper etc.
    The climax of the launch came on Wednesday 8 July 2015, with the kick-off of the under-15 boys’ football tourney. Three matches were played during the first day of play with spectators at the GS Muea stadium having a run for their patience, as all three encounters were a compelling watch.
    The second playing day was billed for 10th July. Spectators have promised never to miss any of the matches.

    Like the girls’ tourney, the boys’ football cup also has 500.000 frs to be grabbed by the lucky winners and individual players who will distinguish themselves.
    Quizzed on his motivations for launching the tournament, Papi London said as a former footballer, he cannot resist the urge to park his car just to watch kids playing. Here him: “Last year we organized the under-13 tournament, this year it is the under-15. May be in two or three year these kids will be ripe to play in the local third division league or the South West regional division-11 championship.”
    On the female tourney, he says his wish is to see girls from Buea also join the female national football team, after the lionesses stunned the world in Canada during the just ended FIFA Female World Cup.
    “We want to schedule the women final on a day that doesn’t interrupt with Coach Enow Ngachou’s tight schedule. He will be the guest of honour during the finals, so that he can see for himself what we have got in Buea as young talents as far as female football is concerned,” Papi London said.
    It should however be noted that the senior male football cup was not programmed this year. Papi London explained that the Elite-1 and Elite-2 leagues are still on-going; he would not want to distract the players especially as some of the teams in the SW notably Njalla Quan Fc and Dynamite Fc are struggling against relegation.
     Papi explained further that being a serious stakeholder in the development of the Buea Municipality, he will prefer to support the development effots of the young and dynamic Mayor of Buea, Patrick Esunge Ekema, who is “a brother and friend”, by sponsoring a team from Muea in the 5th edition of the Buea council inter-quarter football competition.
    Apart from the above reasons, Papi decried the “must win” attitude exhibited by some of the senior boys’ clubs in previous editions of the holiday tourney. Papi London castigated this attitude of clubs saying: “their behavior is contrary to the objectives of the tournament which is to promote unity, fair-play, good neighbourlines and development.”
    He observed that some players and club officials were so rude and ungrateful to the extent of intimidating and brutalizing match officials just because they wanted to win the cup.
    “I prefer the ladies and the kids because their only motivation is to enjoy playing football, nothing but football during their vacation,” he said.
    It should be mentioned that Papi London’s largesse is not felt only by footballers and sports fan alone. He also lends a hand to University students and other vulnerable people in society. In a recent gesture, he offered six rooms free-of-charge to some under-privilege students, at his London Villa hostel in Molyko, Buea, as his own contribution towards poverty alleviation and nation building.