Estacy as Elite One football returns to Bamenda

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By Beryl-Diane Massa*

The home crowd went wild when Junior Nguimbat scored to seal an emphatic 4-1 win for PWD of Bamenda against rivals StadeRenard of Melong at the Bamenda I Proximity Stadium, signaling the return of Elite One football to North West Region.

For close to six year, hundreds of football lovers and supporters across the crisis-hit region had not experienced a winning feeling in Bamenda due to the Anglophone Crisis which broke out in late 2016.

But the narrative changed on February 1, 2026.

Amos Tita, 32, a die-heart supporter of PWD of Bamenda, was among the thousands of supporters who packed the stadium during the matchday clash of the country’s top tier league.

Tita, donned the team’s classic blue colours and sat at the far end of the stadium.

He admitted to Camer Today in an interview that he is following in the footsteps of his father and elder brother.  

Tita has been loyal to the club since his early college days.

For him, supporting PWD of Bamenda is “a family legacy”. But it has been almost a decade since he has had the chance to watch his team play in Bamenda.

“We have been starving for so long. It felt like a dream to me. We are happy to finally watch my team play in Bamenda. It is a feeling I cannot describe,” Tita told Camer Today in an interview.

Tita said: “Moments like this special. We are happy to finally have football [Elite One] back in the region [referring to the North West] and they even won the game with a large score”.

According to the former Team Press Officer (TPO) of PWD of Bamenda, Afeseh Apong, the last time the Abakwa Boys hosted and won an Elite One game was on April 4, 2020. Ndeh Collins scored a 90+4 winner as PWD narrowly edged Dragon of Yaounde 1-0.

Due to the Anglophone Crisis in the Region, PWD of Bamenda had been unable to host its home matches in the region’s capital, Bamenda.

In February last year, a matchday 12 game between PWD of Bamenda and Fauve Azur at the YOSA Francis Arena was abandoned after gunmen opened fire near the stadium.

The team relocated its home matches to the neighbouring West Region. But this had a significant impact on attendances and the club’s finances.

According to statistics from the club, a total 1, 253 tickets were sold for 1, 506, 000 FCFA in gate takings during the team’s first home game against Stade Renard earlier this month.

While official figures aren’t available for the team’s other three home matches already this season, there have been reports of impressive turnouts with the stadium often packed to capacity.

“(…) The turnout has increased ever since our first game. The game against Panthere has had the highest turnout,” a club official told Camer Today.

“The journey was uncomfortable”

Football lovers in Bamenda and across the North West Region faced tough decisions to catch their favourite teams in action.

Back then, the region had two flag bearers in PWD of Bamenda and Yong Sport Academy of Bamenda (YOSA).

For fans who have watched these teams play over the last two years at least, the story is the same: gruelling trips to the West Region, sleepless nights, exhaustion and straining their finances.

Today, with competitive football returning to Bamenda, the struggle is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Nji Conrad said he is “really happy that football has finally come back to Bamenda.”

He explained that watching matches meant travelling out of the region, incurring transport cost and stress.

“The journey was uncomfortable. Sometimes you arrive tired and in pain, and you can’t even enjoy the match. Even while watching, you are not relaxed because you’re worried someone might steal your phone or bag”

“We can finally enjoy football in comfort. It’s encouraging for supporters,” Nji expressed a sigh of relief.

In Bambili, a predominantly student residential area for students of the University of Bamenda (UBa), a group of young men also recalled the nightmare trips they endured to support their team.

“When games were in Bafoussam, we had to plan seriously,” one of them explained.

“Going and coming back the same day was too stressful, so we travelled a day before and booked a hotel, not to mention feeding, fuel for the car we used to travel and move within the city”

“Before long, the expenses became too much. That’s when we stopped travelling. Going to Yaoundé or Douala was even worse,” the fan said.

“Now it’s cheaper, easier, and more comfortable. We still enjoy the same football, in better physical and financial states. We are honestly happy that the game is back in Bamenda,” another member of the group added.

Football return fills pockets

The impact of the stadium is also being felt beyond the stands.

Rebecca Rhinduh, a small food vendor near the Bamenda I Proximity Stadium, noted that match days are now her busiest.

According to Rhinduh, her business is enjoying a new lease of life thanks to the influx of fans flocking to watch PWD of Bamenda play.

Cross section of fans at Bamenda I Proximity Stadium

“I’m very happy because the field is now my neighbour. “I now watch football and sell my food at the same time,” she said.

“People didn’t come here much. But now, on match days, the place is full. I sell more chicken than before. I love football, but the money I’m making makes me even happier,” she added.

Rhinduh’s new thriving business, fuelled by football fever, is a godsend to her family in the country’s second poorest region, according to a 2022 report of the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

A fortress & a title contender

To describe PWD of Bamenda’s start in the MTN Elite One championship this season as a mere dream would be to do them a great disservice.

By this time last season, the team was not at his usual best. They secured only two wins with three defeats in their opening five games. They also managed to score five goals but conceded nine times.

There were signs that PWD of Bamenda’s new season could be a repeat of last year’s struggles when they tasted a familiar feeling of defeat.

They were combative throughout the game but lost 3-0 to Victoria United FC in their opening game of the season in Limbe.

For many, PWD of Bamenda were fortunate not to have lost by a heavier margin in what has been described as a highly controversial game.

After the encounter, the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) announced the temporary suspension of the referees in charge of the game.

The country’s governing football body said the Anglophone derby had “questionable refereeing decisions.”

During the game, Victoria United FC scored three goals from the penalty spot, while PWD received five yellow cards, one red card and had two goals disallowed.

But the Abakwa Boys bounced back strongly and dispelled any suggestion that they would struggle to make an impression with a series of eye-catching wins.

The North West Region club enjoyed a dream home debut when they thrashed 10-man Stade Renard 4-1. They later edged Gazelle FA 1-0 to secure back-to-back wins.

The team continued their rich vein of form with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Fauve Azur of Yaounde and extended their winning run to four-games in a row following a 2-0 win against Panthere Sportive of Nde.

It is one of the club’s best sequence of results since they gained promotion to the top flight in 2018.

PWD of Bamenda has made the Bamenda I Proximity Stadium their “fortress” Tita said.

Tita also revealed that: “I think the team is totally transformed when they play at home. They look invincible. We enjoy seeing them play. They are no doubt title contenders”.

PWD of Bamenda has won all three of their opening home fixtures. They have scored seven goals and have conceded only once.

Also, after their first five games, they collected four wins with one defeat. The result leaves them third on the 14-club table but they have the chance to reclaim their lead when they face Unisport of Bafang on matchday six.  

The high-flying side shall be poised to show its mettle. PWD of Bamenda has plenty of quality in their squad and a new breath that excites.

One of the architects of the team’s transformation is Ndonwie Fielding. In his first four games for the team, the former YOSA player scored three times and recorded two assists.

Ndonwie is currently among four players who have scored three goals at the start of the season in the top five goalscorer chart. The ex-Ranger of Bafut talent is only one short of Jules Armand Kooh of Dynamo of Douala with four goals.

The season is just starting but fans are already but fans of PWD of Bamenda are strongly rooting for the team. The team won their maiden league title in 2020.

After six years, fans are craving another trophy in Bamenda. The wait has been long but the trust is high.

For fans like Tita, supporting his team has now “become an obligation”.

“Hopefully we can build on our impressive form at home to challenge for the title. A second Elite One trophy and a new stadium in one year would be the ultimate prize,” Tita said.

Beryl-Diane Webrim Munshep Massa is the winner of the CTNP Excellence Award for Best Feature Story-Student Category at the Victoria International Media Merit Award 2025

This story was published under the Camer Today News Project (CTNP)

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