Tributes Pour in for Fallen Stade Renard Goalkeeper Prince-will Tayiwoh

By Isifu Wirfengla

Social media is crammed with tributes directed to Prince-will Nchotouh Tayiwoh, the Stade Renard goalkeeper, whose soaring football career has been brought to an abrupt stop by merciless death. 

Team mates, coaches, fans, school mates and countrymen alike woke up on the morning of Wednesday 29^th May, 2019, still not believing the news that has left the entire Cameroon football family inconsolable.  

24 hours after the 23-year-old’s demise, Stade Renard de Melong, the League 1 outfit he played for, have yet to make an official statement on the circumstances surrounding the ex-Opopo shot-stopper's death. However, close sources said Tayiwoh died at 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday, in a hospital in Nkongsamba, where he spent just four days. 

“He was diagnosed of malaria”, our source disclosed. The corpse has been deposited in a mortuary in Nkongsamba, Volcaniksports learnt. 

The Cameroon Professional Football League (LFPC) has annouced the unfortunate passing, decreeing a minute of silence at the start of every play-off game at the weekend.

Tayiwoh who hails from Ndop - Ngokentunja Division of the North West Region of Cameroon, sprouted from the University of Buea FC. He helped the Nicholas Azemchop Asongu-led side win gold medal in football, during the 2015 All Varsity Games hosted by the University of Yaoundé 1; emerging tournament’s Best Player. 

His quest for professional football and/or ambitions saw him move to Victoria United FC alias Opopo (Limbe) in 2017, reaching an historic Cameroon Cup semifinal (before being eliminated by New Stars de Douala). 

Apart from Varsity Games and Cup finals, Xkepist as he was fondly called, starred in regional championships organised by the South West branch of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT). He helped Victoria United reach the 2017 final versus Maumu Youth FC, but missed lifting the silverware following a decision by the FECAFOOT Normalisation Committee, cancelling all regional campaigns that year.

Prince-will (middle)

The former Buea United pair-of-safe-hand’s outstanding performance in the Cameroon Cup, attracted scouts from a host of Cameroonian elite clubs, including Stade Renard de Melong, which he finally chose at the start of 2018.

Tayiwoh neared the peak of his inspiring dreams. It is kind of seeing the Promised Land yet unable to step there or sunset at noon.

Opopo team mate and Wum countryman (where he grew up) Swithbert Kum could not believe his ears. “My heart is full of pain…I won’t see you brother”, the Lioli FC forward lamented.

 “My boy, I am full of tears but I have accepted that God loves you more”, former Opopo coach Mbock Maput wept.

Another ex-Victoria United player, Yoah Willibroad, said, “I don’t even want to imagine the possibility”. 

“Too sad to know you left so soon boy. My heart bleeds…We can only remember you by the good (works) you did…” former UB FC Assistant Coach, Teteh Edwin mourned.

Shocked with the news, another countryman and Yaounde-based The Guardian Post Newspaper Journalist, Mua Patrick, wrote, “…Tayiwoh Prince-will was talented, yet humble. He exhibited the rare spirits of a gentleman… humility was undoubtedly his mantra…”

“GHS Wum Ex-Students’ association in tears, one of ours has been snatched by the cold hands of death…He was a successful goalkeeper…Death why?” Mua Patrick grieved further. Aigle Royal of Menoua FC have also expressed heartfelt sympathy.

Prince-will Nchotouh Tayiwoh became the only goalkeeper to have won a Player of the Month Award from LFPC in May 2018. 

Tayiwoh Chrysantus, Prince-will’s father and a famous businessman in Wum, passed on virtually two years ago.

   

Adieu!