Cameroonians celebrate fourth title

KUMBA, Cameroon (AP) -- Thousands of soccer fans poured into the streets singing, dancing and waving flags to celebrate Cameroon's fourth African Cup of Nations title Sunday.

Cars -- with revelers piled onto the roofs and hanging out the windows -- sped through the capital, Yaounde, to the cheers and whistles of onlookers. They packed Yaounde's bars and nightclubs.

"I knew Cameroon would win," Bessong Frederick said to loud cheers from friends who watched the game with him on television. "We are a bigger nation in football than Senegal."

Street vendor Andre Fondja was doing a roaring trade selling phone cards to people who wanted to discuss the win with friends and relatives.

"I'm going to stay here selling my cards and drinking my beer until morning," he said happily.

In the western town of Kumba, hundreds gathered at the home of Pius Ndiefi, who had three of Cameroon's best shots at goal Sunday. A local brewery handed out free drinks to the singing and dancing throng.

"I am very, very happy to watch my son play the finals," said Ndiefi's proud mother, Lydia. "I feel that he should have been playing all the matches from beginning to end."

Many, however, were surprised by how tough the game was against Senegal, which until recently was a minor presence in African soccer. Cameroon won the game in a penalty shootout after both teams played scoreless for 120 minutes.

"I didn't expect that Cameroon would have played without scoring during the first half," said John Epey Bate, who watched the game at a nightclub in Kumba. "[Senegalese striker] El-Hadji Diouf was a permanent threat to Cameroon up to the end of the game."

In Senegal, at least one young fan was in tears as residents of the capital, Dakar, descended into the streets to commiserate with friends and neighbors.

"When Senegal missed those goals, I just cried," said 12-year-old Therese James.

It was Senegal's first African Cup final, and hopes had been running high for the Dakar Lions after they also qualified for their first World Cup later this year.

"It's a shame it came to a penalty shootout because we'll never know who is the best," said taxi driver Bamba Ngom.

Streets emptied an hour before the game started as people clustered around their televisions and radios. The government set up giant screens in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Abdou Fall, a carpenter who plays on his neighborhood soccer team, was philosophical about the loss.

"Someone has to win and someone has to lose," he said. "They played well and went all the way to the penalty shootout."

 

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