Ngando Pickett's controversial Puma advert on display in a shop in South Africa (c) anjalinayar
"On one hand, the global exposure has made Ngando really happy. His image has united Cameroonians for years and will now unite the world. But at the same time, he felt duped. "Those images belong to me," he explains, in an almost apologetic tone. "And it should be up to me to decide whether my image can be used for a film or advertisement"... Did Puma really put Ngando's half-naked image on posters around Paris without consent, or did Cameroon's Ministry of Sports OK the picture as part of the sponsorship deal for the Indomitable Lions? Finally, now that the publicity is out, what can a poor man like Ngando do to stand up for his rights against the government and a multinational corporation?"
Ngando, who always seems to have the right attitude, doesn't seem that fazed. With or without help - he says he'll always be there to support the Lions. His life path is born from passion rather than greed.
But it still bothers me that everyone but he and his family seems to eat from his love for the game, including his managers, his neighbourhood, his government, and now even Puma.
Anjali Nayer, Canadian journalist
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