Closing day, day of joy, day of elation, day of superlatives, last day of the festival.
For 15 days, the town of Mengong, the Mvila department and even the entire southern region
vibrated to the rhythm of the great popular festival organized by The Belinga Foundation.

From agriculture to small-scale processing, from sport to education, all aspects of life in this
rural community were visited and celebrated. Once on the streets of the town, it was hard
not to feel that everyone was celebrating. From early morning onwards, thousands of
people dressed in their festive best take to the streets.

All eyes are on the closing ceremony, due to start at 2pm. Some of them, to kill time, are
cooling off while waiting for the ceremonies to start, while others are trying to get
themselves filmed or interviewed by the dozens of media men who have taken the city
by storm over the past 15 days.

Their wait is short-lived. At midday, the women’s soccer final pits the formidable Doum FC
girls against the local Fortissimo. After a tight match, the Fortissimo girls win by 2 goals to
nil to claim their first-ever trophy. A few minutes later, the rest of the protocol got under
way with the arrival of the last of the expected VIP guests, including the Secretary
General of the Governor’s Office.

After a series of speeches and the closing parade, the men’s soccer final pitted Tikari FC
from Ebolebola, the surprise package of the tournament, against Fortissimo, who aimed
for and achieved the double, much to the delight of their president, His Majesty Douglas
Oyono Ekata’a.

The evening, the festival and the day ended with a banquet, offered by Pr Steve Félix Belinga
founder of The Belinga Foundation. The said banquet included a show featuring a number
of local and international stars including Jocelyne Bizarre,