By Oni Ladonette Ondesa
Journalist,kick442.com-Cameroon
The sun had barely settled over the high walls of the Kumba Principal Prison when a burst of noise rose from the yard. Dozens of men pressed against the touchline, cheering as a forward from Bayern Munich FC pushed the ball past an Olympic FC defender on the hard concrete pitch.
For a moment, the sound drowned out the clang of metal gates. It felt like any ordinary football match in town , except that every player and every supporter was serving time behind those walls.
The game is part of the second edition of the ETOH Kingsley Champions League Tournament, a local three-a-side football competition for inmates, with a prize of about 250,000 francs. It began on November 9 and will run through November 30. The event features both men’s and women’s teams, with at least eight sides competing in each category. Many of the squads carry borrowed names from world football , Lioness FC, Real Madrid, Manchester City FC, Olympique FC, PSG, and the fan favourite Bayern Munich.
To an outsider, these names may sound playful, but to the players, they are a badge of pride, a way to carve out identity in a place where individuality is often swallowed by routine.
The man behind the tournament, organiser ETOH Kingsley, said the idea came from something deeper than just sport.
“I took into consideration how the inmates feel, like they are abandoned, forgotten,” he explained. “So I thought, why not bring hope back to these inmates, and also make them understand we care and love them. That’s why behind their jerseys we have names like peace, love, friendship, empathy, togetherness. When they read it, it rings a bell.”
He said an inmate once told him that each time the tournament begins, “they feel love and hope to see and share with so many people.” For Kingsley, that was confirmation that the event was doing exactly what it was created to do.
A prison staff member watching from the sidelines shared the same belief.
“How I wish such tournaments could be organised all the time,” she said. “It keeps the prison calm at night.”
Her view was echoed by Besong Gladys, Chief of Bureau for socio-cultural and educative activities.
“It keeps them busy. It makes them forget some of the negative things they think about. As you saw, everyone was occupied,” she said. “It brings a spirit of unity amongst them. That is one of the aspects we are struggling to build, the spirit of oneness, unity, collaboration.”
Inside the yard, it was easy to see what she meant. At one end of the field, a group of men argued animatedly over a referee’s call, an officer serving as match official, something you rarely see them do together outside football.
A few feet away, a group of female players watched the men’s match closely, laughing as they analysed missed chances. For some inmates, this tournament has created friendships that do not usually form across blocks.
One inmate, who asked not to be named, said the competition had changed the energy of the entire prison.
“When you wake up here, you mostly think of your problems,” he said. “But with this tournament, you think about training, strategies, your team. It helps you breathe small. Even if it’s just for minutes.”
Madam Besong said the event is part of a broader effort to make the environment safer and more constructive, especially as the festive season approaches.
“Unfortunately we don’t have such tournaments as often as we would prefer,” she said. “Maybe because people out there don’t understand that something of this magnitude can be organized here. I want to use this opportunity to encourage those interested to bring such competitions.”
She added that while the prison runs dance shows, drama, egg races, singing contests and more, sport often succeeds where other activities struggle. “It brings discipline,” she said simply.
Matches take place on a concrete pitch that has seen years of wear, but the players approach every game as if scouts were seated on the sidelines. Some teams have invented their own chants; others follow small training routines before stepping onto the court.
As the final approaches, anticipation is rising. Teams are studying opponents, trading predictions, and placing friendly wagers, usually small food items or favours allowed under prison rules. For organisers, the hope is that this spirit, this brief sense of normal life, will remain long after the trophy is lifted.
When the day’s match finally ended, the excitement was still thick in the air. Players wiped sweat from their faces, talking over missed chances and lucky escapes. Slowly, they began making their way back toward the blocks, smiling, lighter, carrying with them a few minutes of freedom carved out by the game.
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