Both teams will be fighting to outpace each other at the helm of the point tally sheet. The battle for points is now on in earnest as the MTN Elite One championship enters the 5^th day of play this weekend. On the lookout will be the performances of the co-league leaders Astres and Unisport as they will be involved in a distant duel as they contend for the leadership position of the championship.

Both Astres and Unisport are on ten points each and merely separated by goal difference at the helm of the classification table. Hence a victory for one and defeat or draw for the other will see one of the teams go solo at the helm of the point tally sheet.

The top fixtures of the 5^th day of play are therefore going to be Astres-New Stars and Unisport- Renaissance encounters. Astres will have a harder nut to crack as they will be taking on 5^th placed New Stars also from the economic capital. Unisport after its premature outing from the African Confederations Cup, has an easier opposition from relegation threatened Renaissance in the 12^th position. Outside Astres and Unisport, it would be worthy to monitor the performances of clubs like 3^rd placed Coton Sport and 4^th placed Douala Athletics clubs who are equally involved in the tussle for leadership.

The defending champion, Union will also be on the spotlight as the club battles to regain its steam of last year. Union is a mirror image of what they were last year as the ‘Nassaras kamakai’ are languishing in the 8^th position with barely four points after four days of play. Union, who was aiming to create an impact on the continental scene this year, will have to cut short their ambition and focus on the championship where they laboriously progress on the classification table. They face Fovu today at the Reunification stadium in Douala in an advanced Day 5 encounter.

In a related development, football clubs in Cameroon have received the first installment of subventions granted by the official league sponsor, MTN. Elite One clubs received the sum of 12 million while Elite Two clubs received seven million.

Full Fixtures

Friday 22 March

Douala: Union vs. Fovu

Sunday 24 March

Douala: Douala Ath. Club vs Coton Sport; Astres vs New Stars

Bamenda : Yong Sports vs Tonnerre

Bafang : Unisport vs Renaissance

Bangangte : Panthere vs Njalla Quan

Yaounde : Canon vs Sable