Coronavirus: PWD Bamenda crowned Cameroonian champions after league cancellation

PWD Bamenda have won Cameroon’s Elite 1 league title following the cancellation of the 2019-20 season by the Cameroonian Football Federation.

The decision was announced on Tuesday evening after an agreement by Cameroon Transitional Technical Committee, Fecafoot and the Cameroon women’s football league.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic which led to the suspension of football-related activities, the Cameroonian top-flight was put on a hiatus after 28 games.

And with the possibility of not completing the remaining six games – owing to the continuous spread of the virus, leaders PWD were crowned champions for the first time in their history.

The Abakwa Boys made a return to Elite 1 after 14 years in the lower league – however, thanks to a couple of impressive results they succeeded UMS de Loum’s as the Central African nation’s kings.

In the process, they will represent Cameroon in the Caf Champions League next year with second-placed Coton Sports participating in the Confederation Cup.

This will come as a huge reward for club president Pascal Abunde who has invested heavily in David Pagou’s men.

They would be hoping to end the country’s 42-year wait. Union Douala was the last Cameroonian team to win the Champions League after defeating Ghana’s Heart of Oak in the 1979 final.

Also, Astres of Douala and Louves Minprof have been crowned as winners of the Elite 2 and women’s league respectively.

The statement by Cameroon’s football governing body equally stated Astres and Yafoot FC will get promoted to the elite class as Dragon will continue life in the lower division next term.

With this decision, Cameroon joins the likes of Mauritius, Guinea, Kenya, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso as countries to have abandoned their football season.

African heavyweights like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Morocco are yet to decide the fate of their leagues despite the ultimatum handed over to all African nations by the Confederation of African Football on clubs who will represent them on the continent next year.

In the coming days, Caf is expected to announce the fate of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon in the wake of major competitions across the globe getting postponed.