Olympics 2024: Energizer and Thot in the Final
This is the grand finale of the football final of the 4th edition of the Olympics. The two teams qualified at the end of the semi-finals held simultaneously at the Mfandena Annex No.1 Stadium in Yaounde and the Bepanda Annex Stadium in Douala on Saturday the 3rd of August 2024.
The round ball technicians battled it out for a place in the final. It was: Team Energizer versus Team Imhotep at the Mfandena Annex Stadium in Yaounde and Team Thot versus Team Aïna at the Bepanda annexe stadium in Douala.
The semi-final in Yaounde lived up to the expectations of a top-class match. First, in the stands, a brightly coloured crowd, green for the Team Energizer supporters and yellow for the Team Imhotep supporters. Armed with vuvuzelas, the crowd sang songs of encouragement at the top of their voices, dancing to the rhythm of the tam-tams and balafons.
On the pitch, Team Imhotep was the first to appear fierce. But Angoula came up against a central defence with a solid Ebode-Bondjel. After the first 20 minutes, Team Energizer’s captain Noël Alain Olivier Mekulu Mvondo Akame dribbled and delighted the crowd with rare technical moves in modern football. From a free-kick, he placed the ball on Ndomo's head to open the score in the 23rd minute. It was 1-0 in favour of Team Energizer at half-time.
After the break, Mokhtar scored in the 65th minute from another free-kick. The score was 2-0 in favour of Team Energizer. The match resumed with an interminable duel in midfield. Around the 67th minute, the captain of the Black and Greens produced a move of his own. The opposing goalkeeper, Mpouma, missed an overhead kick thereby missing the ball, allowing Team Energizer to extend their lead to 3-0.
To the rapturous applause of the home crowd, the midfield metronome stepped aside and handed the armband to young Michael Ngaffi. The substitution did Team Imhotep no good, as they were powerless and clearly out of breath. Ngaffi also scored in the 82nd minute and made the scoreline 4-0. Team Energizer has secured its ticket for the final of the football tournament.
On the other side, the Douala match between Team Thot and Team Aïna was played in the same atmosphere of fair play, but with more rivalry and intensity, in front of an enthusiastic and delighted crowd. The match started timidly. Team Thot's Achille Futse opened the scores and that paved the way for a great game ahead. It was a closely contested match, with both teams trying to impose their rhythm. Mbatoura Synclair, Chief of the Bonanjo Social Insurance Centre, scored the equalizer and put the game at 1-1.
Team Thot regained the lead thanks to the dedication of their captain, the Director of Audit and Internal Control, Michel Eric Ava Edang, who was in fine form, putting a strain on the opposing defence. They were immediately caught by Team Aïna, 2-2 at half-time. The tired players returned to their respective dressing rooms. Team Aïna's supporters took the opportunity to offer the public a performance rich in local rhythms, representing the four major cultural areas of Cameroon.
After the interval, the two teams returned to the pitch with renewed enthusiasm. The match ended 3-3 and this led to penalty shoot-outs. After penalties, Team Thot won by a score of 5-3 and progressed to the final to face the fierce Energizer team. A match that promises to be a great one, not to be missed!
