The incredible story of one team’s hellish journey for a historic game of rugby league

Eight days. Two hours of sleep a night. Travelling after sundown to avoid bandits. Getting arrested for not offering the right bribes. A group of rugby league-loving Cameroonians went through it all, and ended up making history.

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Welcome to rugby league’s most daunting road trip.

Eight days. Two hours sleep a night — on a mini bus. The team coach arrested because he didn’t have enough money to bribe police. Travelling only at night to avoid gun-wielding thieves.

Just to play two games of rugby league.

That’s the journey Cameroon’s national team took to play in their first ever international fixture earlier this month.

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A dedicated band of Cameroon players made history with their long journey.

Sleeping conditions on the bus were tough.

The arduous road trip to Lagos, in neighbouring Nigeria, was destined for trouble from the outset, but Cameroon manager Carol Manga wasn’t concerned, he just wanted his nation to lace the boots.

“When local thieves knew there were foreigners around news would travel fast,” Manga said.

“They’d be told two mini buses of Cameroonian foreigners were travelling to Lagos, with just one phone call someone would tell them.

“You could see in the windows they were holding guns, we would have to speed up and find a safe place to pull up.”

The Cameroon players spent eight days on the bus.

Travelling conditions were brutal, with the side forced to avoid travelling in the deep hours of the night to avoid the armed robbers.

The seven members of staff would leave the bus at night to allow the 19 players to rotate sleeping positions.

“We didn’t have a shower or brush our teeth for four days, we had no choice,” Manga said.

“We had to make sure there was lots of water for the players so their feet wouldn’t swell.

The side made the most of their facilities.

“I didn’t really sleep to be honest. I was lucky to maybe close my eyes for 30 minutes a day because of every checkpoint. There was close to 200 checkpoints, they were every few kilometres and I had to be woken up.

“Players would get maybe two hours a night, max three.”

The Cameroon side are fighting for Affiliate member status of the Rugby League International Federation, and playing in an international fixture was one of the last requirements for their eligibility which will lead to greater funding.

The players were stopped at multiple checkpoints.

Hence why the Canberra-based Manga - who pioneered the nation’s rise after falling in love with rugby league upon arrival in Australia as a 21-year-old – was so determined to reach Lagos for the Middle East and Africa Rugby League Championship.

Manga doesn’t blink at adversity after his experiences in recent years, so when the side’s coach and assistant were arrested because they didn’t have funds to pay police a sufficient bribe it was just another hurdle to overcome.

Cameroon sing the anthem ahead of their clash.

“I spent at least a thousand dollars to simply drive people on the road. We all had visas, but they didn’t care. My only goal was to be in Lagos, to be there to play rugby league,” he said.

“I made a call to the Middle East Africa Rugby League Director, who made a few calls and the Nigeria Rugby League Federation got involved. Some high up Nigerian government officials got involved as well.

“The Cameroonian Consulate in Lagos got involved and that is how we managed to cross the border without further issues.”

Cameroon played against Morocco and Nigeria.

Manga’s vision has for years been to use rugby league as an avenue to bring a better life to his family and friends back home.

With tremendous support from around the world, including the likes of NSW coach Brad Fittler and Queensland legend Michael Hancock, Manga has helped establish competitions for men, women and children in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounda

“I’m just hoping that in the future Australia can connect with Cameroon more through rugby league,” he said.

Carol Manga fell in lover with rugby league during his time in Australia.

“Every single bit of money I have in my bank account has gone towards this. I even had to borrow some money, but I don’t care, this needs to happen.

“Just me being in Australia is a massive opportunity, because if I wasn’t here, I would never be in a position to support youth in Africa.”

The convoy anticipated arriving days before the tournament began for maximum preparation.

But after hitting obstacle after obstacle, they would eventual reach their destination just four hours before their opening game against Morocco which they narrowly lost 8-4.

The two games were Cameroons first competitive fixtures.

In their second game they suffered another tight 10-4 defeat at the hands of Ghana, but their mere presence at the tournament meant far more than any result.

Cameroon are now a major step closer to realising their dream of playing in a World Cup, and Manga knows he’s beginning to reap rewards in his mission.

“It was so important to attend the championship. It was to make sense of everything we are trying to do with Cameroon Rugby League,” he said.

“For me, now I start planning for next year’s championships.”

Originally published as The incredible story of one team’s hellish journey for a historic game of rugby league