"The Noni Football Tournament in Bamenda has been a successful unifying factor"

- Barrister Dimla Hanson Tamfu

Barrister Dimla Hanson Tamfu, a Noni Development Stakeholder and one of the organisers of the Noni Football Tournament in Bamenda has declared that this year's tournament has been a successful unifying tool for the Noni people. He said the main problem holding Noni behind had been the lack of Unity. Many attempts and different approaches he said had been used with an intention of bringing people together but non had been as successful in enhancing unity as this Football Tournament turned out to be.

He begins by stating what inspired the initiation of the Noni Football Tournament in Bamenda and also sheds light on those involved in its organization. He was interviewed by Francis Ekongang Nzante

Excerpts

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 "We realized that the much-preached Unity and Love that was believed to reign amongst Noni people was somewhat a smokescreen. We realized that though there existed many factors uniting Nonians, people's hearts were embittered and there wasn't much love required for developing our tribe. We could see brothers fighting against each other probably because they didn’t know themselves. We noticed with dismay brothers awarding huge contracts to non-indigenes while their well-trained brothers lavished in poverty. We deemed it necessary for Noni people to unite and get to know themselves better. We tried to encourage Noni youths in Bamenda by way of mouth to attend Village Development Association (VDA) meetings but the sensitization and endeavours didn't yield the expected fruits. We then decided to organize a football tournament that could help bring Noni people together and this proved to be a huge success given the place of football in our society today. We're proudly Noni.

Noni Youths themselves were the organizers of the Maiden Edition of the Noni Tournament in Bamenda. Mr Ayuba Mark Ngala is the President of Noni Youths in Bamenda and Mr. Nfonbah Robert Kume is the Coordinator of this Noni Tournament. The maiden edition in 2018 went on hitch free, Noni Development and Cultural Association (NODECA) known in the Nooni language as Nshii Nooni promised to be this year's sponsor. They've offered Noni youths a token (50.000frs) and the youths themselves have contributed much to make up for the amount required to run the tournament to its successful end."

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Which teams are involved in this year's Tournament?

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Like in the Maiden Edition, there are 6 teams from the 6 villages that make up the Noni tribe. These include; BVUDA Kinjojang FC from Dom (Bvugoi), DADA FC from Djottin, DDA FC from Din, LADA FC from Lassin(Laan), MBIDA FC from Mbinon (Tfu) and NDA FC from Nkor.

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How was the Tournament structured in terms of groups and the system of elimination of clubs?

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It was structured in the form of a League whereby the teams are given an opportunity to face each other. The first 4 teams with the highest number of points qualified for the semifinals while the last 2 were eliminated. Sunday October 4th was the last day of play for the Group Stage Matches. At the semifinals, the team that emerges first on the classification table will log horns with the 3rd while the 2nd will clash with the 4th for a spot in the finals.

4. When did the tournament begin this year and how did the favourite teams perform?

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This year's tournament started on August 16th  with the following friendly encounters; NDA FC vs DADA FC and LADA FC vs MBIDA FC. We're left with barely two weeks to go. This year's favourite teams were KINJOJANG FC and DADA FC. They've so far lived up to expectations but I must tell you there will be surprises. NDA FC that was in the red zone now tops the classification table while LADA FC and DADA FC have all grabbed a spot in the semis. MBIDA FC and KINJOJANG FC will be logged horns in a nerve breaking encounter on Sunday 3rd as they gunned for the last spot. I must tell you that Noni is endowed with great talents in the game of football.

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Give us some of the highlights of this year's Tournament.

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On the first day of play, the turnout wasn't too good. NDA FC logged horns with almighty DADA FC. It was a thrilling encounter and at the 39th minute, Tata Vitalis aka Nine opened scores for DADA FC. In the second half, Shey John Lambi gave NDA FC an equalizer. The match produced fireworks but luck eluded the 2 teams and it ended a draw game. A goal each for either sides. The second game saw KINJOJANG FC clash with LADA FC and it was equally a thrilling 1-1 draw.

On the second day of play we had a spectacular play from DDA FC who in the first half gripped LADA FC on the scrutums by leading them 2goals to nothing. 2 minutes to the end of the encounter, DDA FC effected some wrong changes and some fatal errors were committed at the defense line and that gave LADA FC the opportunity to turn the tables as they didn't just get an equalizer but won the match in a dramatic 3-2 win.

Another mouthwatering encounter was that pitting MBIDA FC and DADA FC. Fans watched in disbelieve how MBIDA FC beat favourites DADA FC by 2:1.

Then came the most tense and best match so far played between NDA FC and MBIDA FC. We watched great coaching skills. Skills that can only be likened to the legendary José Mourinho of Tottenham FC and the African born Frenchman Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid FC. Many goals were denied by the cross bar. The 2 teams were defensively too strong in such a way that non of the formidable squads had the opportunity of seeing the back of the net. Finally the match ended a virgin 0-0 draw. 

On matchday 2, we watched the favourites BVUDA FC whitewash DDA FC 4:1

On the 4th day of play we had the opportunity of watching KINJOJANG FC that had so far mustered so much support loss to NDA FC 0 goals to 3. The field was quiet because almost 80% of the fans wanted KINJOJANG FC to win.

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How was it an improvement on last year's Tournament?

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This year's tournament has been an improvement in that every team is given an opportunity to provide match delegates. We're equally using only referees who hail from Noni. There are sanctions for late coming and misbehaviour on the pitch. Therefore, we're building future leaders, talents and teaching our youths how to be patriotic. This year, they're playing for Love and Unity and not for the money as was the case in the last tournament.

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Which teams reached the semis and which one eventually won the trophy?

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NDA FC played against LADA FC and the match ended up with penalty shoots. NDA FC however carried the day. This was the toughest match of the season. MBIDA FC beat DADA FC by 2 goals to 1 in a very tensed encounter. NDA FC won the trophy after beating MBIDA FC at the finals.

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Any message to the Noni people that is related to this annual Tournament?

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The objectives of this year's tournament says it all. There's a message of Unity Peace, Love and Development. We encourage every Nonian out of home to enroll and attend Village Development Associations (VDA) meetings regularly, contribute ideas and finances geared towards the progress of our Homeland Noni. I have always said and will keep saying that Noni is bigger than us all. We should and must be seen working for Noni. Noni belongs to us. #Noni FIRST#

The greatest tool required for development is Peace and Love. If there's no peace, the atmosphere won't be conducive for any meaningful development. If there's no love amongst us and for homeland, we won't contribute our ideas and finances geared towards developing it. Recently, we all realized that the peace we thought we enjoyed in Noni was a time bomb. A lot happened and is still happening and we therefore need to collectively preach Love and Peace to fellow Noni people. Not the Love and peace which the world gives but that which comes from the most high God. 

Noni is endowed with much talent, it's a tribe where “little is beautiful” as our fallen hero Pa Wache usually put it. We have a common language, common culture and tradition but is that all what's required? I don't think so. Over the years, our divided nature has caused us to lose a lot ranging from land to development projects. We're a minority in Bui and can't succeed if we fail to stand up for each other. Unity is Strength (Kintashe nu mvungai) is our Motto but this shouldn't only be used for public consumption. Let's all be seen working to achieve it. As they say, “action speaks louder than words”.

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