Canon closes in on ending 24-year title drought

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By Beng Emmanuel Kum

A club winning a thrilling game with nine players is one of the most unlikely upsets you’ll ever see in the history of the MTN Elite One championship.

Canon Sportif of Yaounde achieved this improbable feat against Victoria United FC in Limbe with goals from Zacharie Ebogo and Pascal Ombolo during their final match of the championship’s first phase.

It was an afternoon where plenty of boxes were ticked for Canon Sportif. The only blemish in the results, the two red cards that saw Doualla Nathan and Vitalise Issa sent off for an early bath. 

This was a hugely significant win for Canon Sportif of Yaounde. And the manner of it proved that despite their first phase results, they can match anyone in the division.

Could this win be the start of ending their over two decades title drought when the second phase takes off?

First phase “disappointing”

A lot has happened since Canon Sportif of Yaounde last won an Elite One trophy in 2002.

Tonnerre Kalara Club, TKC, Union Sportive of Douala, Astres of Douala, one of their fiercest rivals were relegated to the inferior league.

At least five clubs including PWD of Bamenda and Victoria United FC, who secured promotion back to the top tier, won their maiden league trophies and Coton Sport added 15 titles to their trophy cabinet.

Twenty-four years is a long time for fans of the club to keep waiting on seeing their team lift the silverware. But the club seems to have made a strong case to end the wait, again, this year, but have not been consistent. 

Finishing out of the top five “is disappointing given the ambition, the work done and pre-season. We had the possibility to do better,” The Team Press Officer of Canon Sportif, Thomas Belibi told The Guardian Post Sports in an exclusive interview.

Canon Sportif sit sixth on the 14-club MTN Elite One table with 19 points after 13 matches played. They are 10 points from the top currently occupied by Unisport of the Upper Nkam.

Although the club has a long way to go to the top, Belibi believes the team has drawn the positives of the first round and are ready to fight for the trophy.

Canon have been largely culpable of their own downfall this season. They have come desperately close to winning matches and securing maximum points but familiar defensive frailties have cost them a lot.

The Yaounde base outfit has been on course to winning a game but compromised their chance to win after conceding. They have recorded tepid performances and occasionally looked low on confidence.

On matchday five for instance, against Unisport, Canon got off to a bright start when Ako Assomo put them ahead before the break. But the visitors scored three goals within 11 minutes in the second half to turn the tables around.

Fredy Lobe and Yann Ddjock scored late on but could not rescue a losing cause for the team. That was their second defeat of the season.

During the seventh day of play, Canon Sportif were close to a famous win against Coton Sport of Garoua when Ako Assomo found the breakthrough on 12 minutes but Coton snatched a draw deep into stoppage time with Thierry Aloukou scoring on 90+7 minute.

On matchday eight against Panthere Sportive of Nde, Canon Sportif thought they had secured a draw when Ako Assomo cancelled David Ngondo’s 13th minute opener but the team conceded in the last quarter of the game for another defeat.  

It was the same against Colombe Sportive of the Dja and Lobo. Colombe was ahead after 33 minutes through Franck Belobo but Brice Sindjo denied Canon of victory with 13 minutes remaining.

“During the first phase, Colombe Sportive were wasteful in front of goal and lacked the cutting edge. We created several goal scoring chances, but we are unable to score. If we did that, we would have been among the leading clubs in the championship, he said.

In 13 matches, Canon Sportif have won only five matches with four defeats and four draws.

Belibi added that: “We will have to work on the shortcomings displayed during the first phase of the championship”.

Hopeful to win the league

Of the 14 teams taking part in the Elite One this season, Canon of Yaounde has showcased one of the most impressive displays.

Many have even confessed that their free-flowing football makes them one of the most talented and envious squads in the league albeit their current standing.

“We played against the favorites of the league and we played really well. We have everything we need with star players and youth squads to obtain the title,” Belibi revealed.  

He insisted that Canon Sportif must capitalize “on their ability to get points from away trips”. According to Belibi, the team does better in the face of adversity.  

“In addition to the talented squad, the quality of the game developed can improve the performance and we hope to make the return phase better with the highest quality,” Belibi said.

“We are 10 points from the top. It is not unsurmountable. We are hopeful that we will win the league. We will fight to achieve our goals and we will take one game at a time. We have 13 matches and every game will be taken seriously,” Belibi added.

Canon Sportif, who have previously been labelled as the Kings of missed chances, for their ability to perform well but suffer a slip up, will need more of such morale boosting victories if they must lay their hands on the trophy again, finally.

They will also hope that the second phase of the championship continues with a similar pattern and end the season the same way they ended the first phase. 

This story was first published on The Guardian Post Sports

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