Cameroon’s arrival in Abidjan already had the feel of a major event before Saturday’s friendly against Côte d'Ivoire, with nearly 1,000 people turning up to watch the Lions Indomptables’ first training session in the city.
The session took place at the lycée moderne de Cocody, where the crowd included more than 700 schoolchildren. For a pre-match workout, that is a sizeable turnout, and it underlined the interest surrounding Cameroon’s visit ahead of Côte D'ivoire Vs Cameroon.
Bryan Mbeumo was the main attraction for many in attendance. His presence helped give the session extra visibility, but it also reflected the broader pull of the Cameroon squad in Abidjan. The team had arrived on Wednesday late afternoon and checked into a hotel in the Plateau district, before opening its preparations in Cocody.
Jean-Claude Mbida said of the reaction: “Franchement, difficile de ne pas y voir un symbole.”
Support beyond the pitch
Clinton Nje was also present around the team, and his appearance was presented as a sign of support from the Cameroonian diaspora in Côte d'Ivoire. That detail added another layer to a session that felt bigger than a standard warm-up, especially with local attention building around the match amical.
The buildup did not stop with the first workout. Cameroon’s staff had a full schedule in place before the friendly, with a technical meeting set for Friday at 10 a.m., a press conference planned for Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Cocody Orange Village, and a second training session scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. at the lycée moderne de Cocody.
That timeline leaves little doubt that Cameroon is treating the Abidjan trip seriously. The first session offered an early glimpse of the atmosphere, and the turnout suggested that the Lions Indomptables had already captured local attention before they even stepped onto the field against Côte d'Ivoire.
