Douala: Ngangue, Hub for Football Talents

The little known neighbourhood in Douala has produced reputed football stars like Andem William, Njea Rene, Bep solo, Christian Bassogog and Samuel Eto’o.

Ngangue or better still Ngangue Meteo is a little known neighbourhood in Douala, as opposed to popular quarters like Bonanjo, Akwa or Bonaberi. It is surrounded to the east by the airport, to the west by New Bell, to the north by Bonapriso and to the south by Njomabe.

However, Ngangue hides a treasure which is a hub for football talents having furnished over twenty players to the national football team when whole Regions cannot boast of a single player having worn the jersey of the Indomitable Lions.

Football in Ngangue is not a passion but a religion. Every afternoon, youths assail any available playground to live their passion of playing football, some just for the fun of it and others, especially those football academies, dreaming to make a career in football like their elders before them.

In the absence of a hall of fame, the youths have established a wall of fame where the portraits of successful footballers from the quarter are painted like Christian Bassogog, Nlend Samuel, Ebaisso, Soucia, all playing professional football and having played with one of the categories of the national team.

They also resort to giving names of players to road junctions like “Carrefour Roger Milla” since the junction is close to his house in Douala or “Carrefour Thomas Nkono” in honour of his performance at the World Cup in 1982 and 1990 as well as Avenue Bassogog after his nations Cup exploit.

As of now, Ngangue alone has three recognised football academies namely Real A c a - demy, Ngangue football Academy, Real Foot Sports and a host of others. According to Abang Marcel, a former goalkeeper with the Lions now turned coach, the intense interest in football stems from the fact that there were several playing grounds in Ngangue in the past like, Rue Jakotone, Camp Edimo, Camp Napoleon, camp Grissard and camp Fapou Dagobert.

However the most popular of all the playgrou...