French soccer prodigy Kylian Mbappé set foot on Cameroonian soil on 6th July for a marathon two-day stay. Many Cameroonians flocked to Yaoundé-Nsimalen international airport to welcome the man they had previously only seen on television.
For sports journalist Martin Camus Mimb, Kylian Mbappe’s arrival in Cameroon is a small victory for his father Wilfried and grandfather Philippe. “Why didn’t anyone ask, why did it take 25 years to bring his son to his country? Mbappé’s arrival in Cameroon is a small victory for his father Wilfried and his grandfather Philippe, who are regulars at 237. In fact, Algeria led us for a long time,” he writes on his Facebook page.
During his stay, a number of outings were planned, including a visit to the “Fondation Hélène Ressicaud pour l’Education et la Promotion des Personnes Déficientes Auditives”. The Prime Minister, John Ngute, is supposed to receive the “child of the country”, who has decided to return to see how things are going in his father’s homeland, Wilfried Mbappé.
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Mbappé has also shown off his many talents to the public, with a full-throttle charge against Joakim Noah on the floor of the Village Noah (Basketball) before a soccer demonstration at the Stade d’Étoudi against Yannick Noah’s team, Vent d’Étoudi. The tour then moved on to Douala, with a visit to a school. He set foot for the first time in the land of his ancestors, on Djebale Island.
Kylian Mbappe has received the blessing of his ancestors at a spiritual sanctuary called “Dibala”. Before him, French international Lilian Thuram had also been introduced to Cameroon during his visit.
The former 1998 world champion with the French national team was in Cameroon in January 2021. At the time, he had decided to integrate himself into the culture of which he would be a native through his ancestors. Thanks to his fight for the cause of black people, through his association, Lilian Thuram has been awarded the notable Traditional Ngondo. He is recognized as a worthy Sawa son in Douala, Cameroon. The ceremony dedicated to him was held at the Maison de la Culture Sawa.