Today, the opening ceremony of the Africa Cup of Nations took place at the Stade d’Olembé Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the ceremony alongside President Paul Biya, spotted not wearing a face mask and his wife, Chantal Biya.
The opening ceremony was without a doubt a show of the diversity of Cameroon and Africa with a burst of vibrant colours. After the singing of the national anthem, there was a welcome message by 88-year-old Paul Biya. Another speech by the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, quickly follow.
Africa Cup of Nations 2021
The cheering football-loving crowd, mostly wearing green, red yellow, enjoyed entertainment from performers with an opening song performed by Fally Ipupa. In addition, there was a display of green, red and yellow smoke and a computer-generated image of a lion, a nod to the Cameroon national team.
It’s worth noting that Cameroon had waited three years to host the African Cup of Nations. The country got stripped off in the 2019 edition, and in 2021 plans were delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Afcon 2021 Cameroon v Burkina Faso
Day one of the game ended with a victory for Cameroon. The host country won Burkina Faso 2-1, with both goals scored by Captain Vincent Aboubakar.
