Life is sometimes amazing.
In the exact words of Monk Ryokan, over 200 years ago, he wrote;
In the verdant forest, my hermitage. Only those who lost their way out will find it. No rumor of the world, the singing of a wood cutter, sometimes. A thousand peaks, ten thousand streams, not a living soul.
Most times I have flown over the thick equatorial forests of Gabon and the giant Atlantic Ocean, I have reflected deep in my heart, the wonder works of the creator in Heaven – God.
I have been left amazed by the abundant natural gifts Gabon has and just left the rest to mere adoration.
My days, hours and minutes in Gabon are now surely numbered.
There is the third place playoff and final matches coming up on Saturday and Sunday nights respectively.
On Saturday, the second last match at the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations finals (AFCON) will be played and happens to be the third place play off match between ‘two wounded Buffaloes’ Ghana Black Stars and the Burkina Faso Stallions.
I happened to have been booked on the COCAN flight from Libreville to Port Gentil and we were scheduled to check-in two hours to departure for the tickets and boarding passes.
Luckily, like many of the passengers on board, we managed to check in as early as 10 a.m ready for the journey.
We boarded the Afri-Jet plane, CS DVF from the Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville minutes past noon and safely reached our destination after just 25 minutes.
Glad as Monk, I witnessed silent life in the forests and the Atlantic Ocean as we flew.
While on board, I hooked a Cameroon journalist who introduced himself as Christian Djomo, working for a radio station (Radio Batcham, 96.7 stereo), based in Bafoussam City.
We were ushered in at the Ali Bongo Ondimba International Airport in Port Gentil by happy volunteers and directly to the waiting shuttle as we drove to the Stade De Port Gentil.
I have very fresh memories of Port Gentil Stadium, a great newly built facility where Uganda Cranes lost by two 1-0 scorelines, first to the 4 time AFCON winners Ghana and then to the record winners, Egypt days later.
Aside its sandy playing turf, the stadium is a great facility with a 20,000-seater capacity.
Later on Saturday night, I will watch Ghana play a free passing Burkina Faso side in the stadium to determine who finishes third.
I predict a great game full of attacking and definitely goals.
This is purely a curtain raiser ahead of the 32nd match at the championship.
Can’t wait for Sunday’s finale – Egypt versus Cameroon.
