Lion's week from April 22 to 27

In the run-up to this major event, the organizing committee held a press conference on Thursday March 14, 2024 at the Djeuga Palace Hotel in Yaoundé.

Alongside the film Le Lion ne meurt jamais (The Lion Never Dies), the idea is to give these former Indomitable Lions a chance to speak for a week, and to involve them in this important project, in which each of them, in his or her own time, helped to build Cameroon's glorious image throughout the world through soccer. "Lion's Week" is a concept that reminds the collective memory of the need to do something for our icons. For the first edition on the epic of the old lion His Excellency Albert Roger Milla, activities are planned in the city of seven hills from April 22 to 26 at the National Museum, a photo exhibition retracing the career (life) of His Excellency Albert Roger Milla.

We'll be taking an excursion into his private life, with a number of personal items on display for the world to see, with two highlights: a focus on the 1984 African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire, and the 1990 World Cup in Italy. During the photo exhibition, on April 25, we'll be hosting a round-table discussion on the theme of Roger Milla, global icon. The aim will be to highlight the other aspects of his life outside sport. To round off the celebrations, a gala match will be held on the morning of April 27 at the Stade Olembe, pitting the national friends of His Excellency Albert Roger Milla against those from abroad. A gala dinner for all these friends and acquaintances in the evening at the Djeuga palace in Yaoundé will bring this week of celebrations to a close.

For the project's promoters (NGWEM Donatien Ulrich Samuelet DJONA Dieudonné Pierre), Le lion ne meurt jamais (The lion never dies), it's a question of immortalizing our icons by making a film about his life, and Lion's Week comes as a precursor, already announcing the forthcoming release of this 90-minute feature film which will retrace the exceptional career of an extraordinary, humble man of many talents.

For Jules Denis Onana, former Lion and chairman of the Lion's Week organizing committee, "there are role models we can identify with, and take them as examples. Our society needs them, as it does everywhere else. There are always reliable values that serve as benchmarks for the younger generation. Many of today's young people haven't seen him play, but thanks to NICTs, they can see extracts, and this film will be just the icing on the cake. We want to show the world all the achievements of this exceptional man through his humanitarian work with his Heart of Africa foundation and many others. During this week, you will discover the Roger Milla that many people don't know, and you will understand why he is an icon and should be celebrated as such.

Clément Noumsi