The Archbishop of Bamenda in Cameroon has called on citizens to use the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament for peace building and unity.
Archbishop Andrew Nkea on Tuesday told ACI Africa that “The Africa Cup of Nations has come to us at a very good time, when there is a lot of tension around”.
“But it is very important to note that football is a game of unity. Football is a game of fraternity and football is a game of love and sharing”, he stressed.
The Archbishop highlighted the importance of peace and fraternity throughout the tournament at the sideline of Cameroon Catholic Bishops’ seminar in Ngaoundere Diocese.
“This is a time of fraternity; this is the time of togetherness and this is the time for peace building so that we can give a good image of our country and of ourselves to the rest of the world,” the catholic prelate said.
He went on to implore, “May the Lord guide and protect our people and our visitors throughout this competition.”
“My message to the Cameroonian people is that we should use the Africa Cup of Nations in our country as a time of unity, and as a time for building peace because we have known a lot of fighting; we have known a lot of hatred”, said Archbishop Nkea.
Cameroon is hosting the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations competition that brought together 24 countries that qualified for 2022 tournament.