EXTENSIONS of REMARKS June 25, 1990 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS CAMEROON: the LION HEARTED People Than Football

15516 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 25, 1990 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS CAMEROON: THE LION HEARTED people than football. Football is a big unifi "The entire world is talking about Came SOCCER TEAM er in our country." roon," said Michael Kaham, a Cameroonian A VERY FULL HOUSE who once played for the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League in the HON. MERVYN M. DYMALLY The sport is so popular that eight years United States and is now an assistant under OF CALIFORNIA ago in Yaounde, the capital, more than Mr. Nepomniachi. "Maybe some will come IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 200,000 people attended Cameroon's World to visit." Cup qualifying match with Morocco in a Monday, June 25, 1990 stadium that seats 50,000. PLAYED WELL IN 1982 Mr. DYMALLY. Mr. Speaker, soccer fans "In Africa, a seat for 1 is a seat for 10," This is Cameroon's second appearance in were surprised and thrilled to see the Camer said Theophile Abege, a retired midfielder the World Cup finals. In 1982, the Lions oonians, not only upset Argentina, the 1984 who starred for the national team for years. played remarkably well, tying each of their World Cup Champions 1 to O but they went on "There were 500,000 more outside the stadi opponents-Peru, Poland and the eventual um, with their radios chattering. They were champion, Italy-but failing to advance. Re to qualify for the finals by beating Romania 2 there to support the team, to live with the turning home, they were greeted as heroes, to 1 and Colombia 2 to 1. team." and the adulation resonated throughout the Recently the New York Times published two Mr. Abege, the players and others in Cam continent. stories about this lion-hearted team: eroon's World Cup delegation are based Over the next few years, they established LION-HEARTED CUP TEAM GIVES HOPE TO here in a tiny hilltop town in Italy's heel, themselves as one of Africa's premier teams, CAMEROON overlooking white-washed stone houses, and many of the players signed professional <By Michael Janofsky) acres of olive tree groves and the Adriatic contracts in France and elsewhere. The SELVA Dr SASANO, ITALY.-The name of the Sea beyond. The team practices at a small team won the African Nations Cup in 1984, country evolved from the Portuguese word field at the foot of the hill, in the town of finished second to Egypt in 1986, won again for shrimp, camarao, which might have Fasano, where children watch them train in 1988 and lost this year's championship to been an appropriate nickname for Came and tug at their jacket sleeves for auto Algeria. In 1986, Zambia beat Cameroon in roon when the World Cup finals began ear graphs. the World Cup qualification to join Morocco lier this nionth. Though champion of In recent days, many of the Cameroonians in the finals. Africa, the team was still viewed as only an have talked by telephone to relatives and Meanwhile, other African teams have im appetizer for other teams in its group in the friends at home. They have all heard the proved to the point that Mr. Abege, now an world championship soccer tournament. Yet variations on a theme, of the joy over the administrator with Air Cameroon, said that through the first round of play, which ends team's victories, of the celebrations, of the as many as six others could have done as this week, no other team among the 24 par expectations for continued success. well as Cameroon in this year's World Cup. ticipating has caused such a stir. "There is happiness all over the country," He named Algeria, Morocco, Zambia, In winning their first two games-a re said Mbena Mengue, the director of the Pre Ghana, Zaire and Nigeria. markable 1-0 upset of the defending cham voyance Football Club in Yaounde and head "Five or 10 years from now, he said, "Afri pion, Argentina, and a 2-1 victory over Ro of the delegation. "The walking has can soccer may be the best in the world." mania-the Cameroonian players have stopped. People are dancing. They are en Many of the players say the improvement clearly fulfilled the promise and ferocity of joying themselves. This is a very big event of the other African nations, their own play their true nickname, the Indomitable Lions. in our country. Very big." in the tournament, and that of Egypt, With one first-round match to play "Feasts," said Professor Mbala, who has which has tied both its games, could influ Monday night in Bari against the Soviet spoken to his wife in Yaounde. "Many ence a decision to admit one or more other Union-the Lions have already assured feasts. People drink lots of beer and palm African nations. themselves of a place among the 16 teams drinks and eat lots of food: meat, beef, "Before coming here," said Thomas that will advance to round two, when the chicken, fishes, small animals from the Tataw, the team captain, "we had two mo monthlong tournament changes to a format bush. Some people were up all night last tives. No. 1, we came to represent very well in which one loss eliminates a team. Friday, making feasts." Cameroon and Africa. Secondly, we came The Lions' two victories have not only un Beyond the joy, however, Cameroonians here to fight, to fight to try to get Africa leashed a wave of joy across Africa, a soccer are hoping that victories might generate more representation in the World Cup. If mad continent, they have also given Came other benefits for their country, the way we are able to put up a good show, possibly roonians new hope that investors and tour staging the 1988 Summer Olympics helped they will recognize how far African football ists might discover their land, just above the South Korea reach trade agreements with has come." equator in the crook of Africa's West Coast. new partners, like the Soviet Union and So far, the show has been dazzling. This is Further, they have given impetus to a some of its former satellite states. a team with a style unlike that of any other growing feeling that Africa deserves more Cameroon, which gained independence 30 squad in the tournament. Rather than ad than two places <Cameroon and Egypt filled years ago after decades as a divided country vance the ball with short, quick passes them this year) in the World Cup finals, under British and French control, sorely through the middle of the field or with compared with 13 for Europe. needs assistance in all aspects of society, long, deep drives down the wings, the Lions Like many African nations, Cameroon is chiefly economic. Aside from just two large dart about at a frenetic pace, each dribbler inching from an agricultural base toward in cities, Yaounde and Douala, and several keeping the ball on his feet until absolutely dustrialization. Nearly two-thirds of the remote game preserves, the country lacks forced to pass. country's 11 million people are still earning the kind of magnets that attract invest Franc;ois Omam Biyik, a 24-year-old for a living from the soil. Five years ago, the ments and tourists. ward, drew sudden international acclaim nation was without television. A brochure The World Cup is a rare opportunity to scoring the goal that beat Argentina, just recently published by the Government bring Cameroon attention from beyond the seconds after his brother, Andre Kana proudly boasts of "tarred" roadways now in continent. Mr. Mengue cited Valery Nepom Biyik, was banished for a flagrant foul. But place. Money is scarce; goods are limited niachi, a former assistant coach with the the star of the show and spiritual leader of and expensive. Many of the fields used by Soviet national team who was hired last the team is Roger Albert Milla, a 38-year soccer clubs are of sand, unlike the mani year to coach the Lions, as an example of old who came out of retirement on public cured laws of Europe. the benefits of foreign assistance. demand in May to rejoin the team in prepa "We have so many tribes in our country," "If we can be helped in joint ventures in ration. said Prof. Pierre Tsala Mbala, the national the matters of sports management," Mr. Twice Africa's player of the year, he en team's physiologist since 1976, "Football is Mengue said, "we can be helped to make up tered the game against Romania in the 58th one way to unite our country, the only way our infrastructure. So maybe this is an occa minute and broke a scoreless tie with two to have our people fit together. I don't know sion for others to come and visit in Came goals. Since then, he has become so swept of another event to mean more to our roon." up in the excitement of the team's success e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. June 25, 1990 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 15517 and his own rediscovered enthusiasm that chi sent the old man into the game in the BULGARIAN ELECTIONS he pronounced his intention to play another 54th minute yesterday. The heat of the day two years before retiring for good. was down. Time for an old man to play some Mr.

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