Echauffement : Scramble For Accreditations On High Gear

As early as 10 a.m. yesterday January 14, 2021, the Accreditation Centre of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) located at the Yaounde Town Hall was already flooded with individuals eager to get access badges to the stadia. This exercise began on Tuesday January 12, 2021 and is expected to run to the end of the competition. However, it is only open to those who have gotten approval from the CHAN organising committee or the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Some of them include volunteers, stadium security officials, media, and sponsors amongst others who all fall under specific commissions.
Some of these individuals had already started visiting the Accreditation Centre when it opened and their numbers kept on multiplying every passing day. On Thursday when we visited the centre, the scramble was real with some standing inside the hall while many others still waited outside to have access to the centre. Though they were many, security officials ensured that the Covid-19 barrier measures were respected especially the wearing of facemasks. They had to go through a four-stage process including the reception, typing, production and distribution.
An aspirant who declared anonymity stated that he had spent about 10 minutes before knowing where to start when he got to the Accreditation Centre. It was after then that he succeeded to get to the reception. He presented the name of his commission. A list was pulled out and his name verified. He was later on handed a piece of paper containing the name of his commission and a number corresponding to...