Qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire is now uncertain for the Indomitable Lions.

The lions were held to a 1-1 all draw last week in Yaoundé by a compact Namibian side that successfully won the return leg staged in the Dobsonville Stadium in the suburbs of Johannesburg in South Africa today.

Namibia opened the scoring in the 54th minute through Peter Shaluille, who scored in the first leg in Yaoundé.

The Indomitable Lions, who were playing in a 4-2-4 formation, were unable to react and in the 78th minute, Jean-Charles Castelleto committed a foul 30 meters from his goal which proved fatal as the score was increased by Namibia from a free kick executed by Absalom Limbondi.

Leading 2-0 with 10 minutes to go, the Indomitable Lions, despite the substitutions made by a frustrated Rigobert Song, continued to be confused and without ideas in their game. Vincent Aboubakar pulled one back in the 91st minute following a long ball in the Namibian area from Jean-Charles Castelleto but that proved insufficient to avoid defeat. Rigobert Song’s record since taking over as manager on 28 February 2022 is now 3 wins, 4 draws and 5 defeats.

The Indomitable Lions, who have one more elimination match to play in September against Burundi, are now 2nd in their group of 3 teams with 4 points while Namibia has 5. Only one country will qualify from this group for the 30th Africa Cup of Nations scheduled from 13 January to 11 February 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire.

Cameroon, 5 times African champion (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002 and 2017) and 20 participations in the AFCON, has not missed any final phase of this major tournament since the 2013 edition in South Africa and 2012 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

By Staff Lady Nelly Epupa with files from Rita Akana

Maidstone United have appointed George Elokobi as manager until the end of next season after a spell in caretaker charge of the National League club.

The 37-year-old former defender, who was born in Cameroon but moved to England aged 16, played in the Premier League during his time with Wolves.

Elokobi had been in temporary charge after Hakan Hayrettin left in January. “My plan is to rebuild and bring back the success Maidstone thoroughly deserves,” said Elokobi.

Maidstone have failed to win any of their 11 league matches under Elokobi’s temporary stewardship and are bottom of the National League, 13 points from safety, with eight games of the campaign remaining.

Elokobi, who won both the Championship and League One titles as a player at Wolves, finished his playing career with Maidstone, having captained them to promotion to the National League in 2021-22.

His three-year spell with Maidstone ended a career that saw him quickly rise from non-league Dulwich Hamlet into the EFL with Colchester United and later the top division with Wolves.

Another highlight of his time at Molineux was a headed goal in a Wolves win over Manchester United in 2011 that ended a 29-match unbeaten run for the Red Devils.

“As we are all fully aware this season has not gone as we all hoped. We can’t change the past, however we can learn from this and obviously look to the future,” Elokobi told the club website.

“A huge thanks to the board for entrusting me with the role. I also want to thank all the backroom staff, who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes since my appointment as interim manager.

“To all the players, I want to thank you for continuing to give your all under the current circumstances.

“Under the new structure and with your continued hard work, I know we can only get better and get back to our winning ways.

“To the amazing Maidstone United supporters, I want to thank you for your patience this season. Your support has not gone unnoticed. Here’s to bringing Maidstone United back to its winning ways.”

Hayrettin had guided Maidstone to the National League South title last season but departed after a run of two wins in 23 fixtures in all competitions.

Maidstone chief executive Bill Williams added: “As caretaker manager the performances under George have been encouraging, when you consider the squad he inherited and the horrendous injury list.

“George has set out a clear plan and vision for the first team and is ideally placed to hit the ground running as there is a lot of work to be done over the summer. “In the four years he’s been at our club, George has shown exceptional leadership.”

Source: BBC

Newcastle United are among several Premier League clubs casting an eye over Lille’s 19-year-old wonderkid, Carlos Baleba who has been impressing in Ligue 1 this season.

A report in 90mins credits Newcastle amongst the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal as potential destinations for LOSC Lille‘s ‘in-demand’ midfielder after he burst onto the scene this season.

He’s so far made 12 appearances from the bench for Lille in Ligue 1 this season and has caught the eye of many clubs around Europe, with his own teammate, Jonathan David singling him out for praise saying: “Carlos is young, but he brings something different, which is very good for us. He is powerful, strong, he drives the ball very well”

Baleba is already in demand around Europe                                                                       

The report mentions Newcastle along with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham and Leicester as the Premier League clubs who have despatched scouts to take a closer look at Baleba with a view to making their move in the summer.

AC Milan are said to have failed in an attempt to land the Cameroonian in January with Lille apparently seeing him as the ‘future’ of the club, but as Newcastle proved with Sven Botman, it doesn’t matter how highly Lille value a player, they have a price and can be bought.

With that being said, it’s believed that it would take a bid of around £30million to pique Lille’s interest, which given Baleba’s age and little experience could prove to be a step too far for many clubs. Of course if the delegation of scouts like what they see, then that price tag might seem justifiable.

Baleba could be another one for Ashworth’s revolution

With his reputation rising, Baleba will be pushing for more game time to prove what he can do, which can only benefit those interested clubs as the more they see of him the more of a feel they can get of his potential and where he needs to focus in training.

That kind of information will be vital to Dan Ashworth as he looks to build his youthful army to secure Newcastle’s future away from the constraints of FFP. By signing young players with bags of potential who can break into Newcastle’s first team, the feeling is they can take the roles that we’d otherwise have to spend big to fill.

Source: Geordie Boot Boys

Chelsea youngster Ben Elliott has switched international allegiance from England to Cameroon after a charm offensive from the African nation’s manager Rigobert Song and federation president Samuel Eto’o.

Highly-rated academy midfielder Elliott, 20, is now on course to become a full international before making his professional debut after being included in Cameroon’s senior squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double header against Namibia at the end of this month.

Elliott joined Chelsea aged eight, was part of the academy group that later included the likes of Jamal Musiala and Tino Livramento, and represented England at under-16 level before a serious knee injury contributed to his progress for club and country being interrupted for more than two years from the age of 15.

However, he has overcome that setback to resume his Chelsea career and been one of their standout performers at Under 21s level this season.

His displays earned him a place in Graham Potter’s 25-man Chelsea squad for their mid-season training camp in Abu Dubai, a trip which helped put him on the radar of Cameroon officials.

Cameroon manager Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto’o, president of their football federation, have been looking to recruit players of dual nationality

The presence of his full name – Benjamin Njongoue Elliott – on the team sheet for Chelsea’s friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi played a part in alerting them to his Cameroon roots.

Cameroon had previously been in nearby Qatar for the World Cup.

As they look to build on a third-place finish in their World Cup group, Cameroon are keen to bring through a new generation of players and are actively on the lookout for those of dual nationality.

Elliott, who has been training with Chelsea’s first team this week, is eligible for Cameroon through his father.

And legendary former defender Song and striker Eto’o combined to explain their plans for the national team to Elliott and convince him to make the switch.

Cameroon begun their AFCON qualifying campaign with a 1-0 win in Burundi last June and can seal their place in next year’s Ivory Coast tournament when they face Namibia on March 23 and 28.

Source: Mail online

Choupo-Moting will extend his contract until 2024! NO option for one year more. The 33 year old striker will get a significant pay raise as reported. This season, the Cameroonian international has participated in 25 matches scored 16 goals and made 4 assists.

The 33-year-old Cameroonian striker joined the club as a backup from PSG, but has emerged as a key player, especially in the absence of Robert Lewandowski who joined Barcelona in July 2022. Choupo-Moting has made the jersey no.9 his own, resisting any competition from Sadio Mane, Thomas Muller, or Mathys Tel. His exceptional scoring record this season has earned him a significant pay rise, with his Bayern Munich salary doubling to around 10 million euros per year, according to German publication Bild.

By signing Choupo-Moting to an extension, Bayern have quashed any rumours of a pursuit for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane or other recognized strikers like Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen. Choupo-Moting may not be a young striker, but he is effective in his role, and the club seemed satisfied with his performance. This move has also given Mathys Tel time to grow into the future striker position at Bayern instead of being replaced by a new signing from abroad. With his new deal, Choupo-Moting has secured his future at the club, and Bayern Munich have secured a reliable backup for Lewandowski.

Source:  Planetsport.com.                                                  

Bombs have gone off in the Southwest regional headquarters of Buea today disrupting the Mountain Race of Hope which is supposed to bring hope and promise to the people of the region.

Ambazonian separatists had called for a boycott of the event, advising athletes and the population to stay away from the government-financed event which has no economic value.

Separatists had promised that there would be consequences for those who would not comply with the call for a boycott and they have been as good as their word.

Though no casualties have yet been reported, Cameroon Concord News sources in Buea have said that there is panic all over the city of Buea following the bomb explosions.

According to the sources, many onlookers have simply returned to their homes and some Mountain Race participants have walked away from the race to spare themselves any pain that might come their way.

As at the time of publishing this article, the government had not made any statement regarding the explosions and it is obvious that the Yaounde government cannot provide proper security in the two English-speaking regions of the country where an insurgency has lasted for seven years.

Violence has increased in the two English-speaking regions of the country following the government’s refusal to participate in the Canada-led peace talks and the insurgents are not in a hurry to down their weapons.

Since starting in 2016 due to frustrations resulting from the marginalization of the country’s English-speaking minority, and injustice which has become a cancer in the country, the civil war in Cameroon has already resulted in the deaths of some 10,000 Cameroonians and there is no end in sight.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Explosions were heard early Saturday after Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, an international athletic competition, kicked off in Buea, the chief city in the Southwest, according to police and eyewitnesses.

The blasts went off in three locations just a few minutes after the race began, Buea police said.

“We lined up along the road to watch the athletes as they were racing. The bomb exploded just along the road. There was smoke and the sound was loud,” Johnson Nfor, a witness, told  Chinese media house Xinhua by phone.

“Five athletes were in front of me. Just when I was about to overtake them, the bomb exploded and hit my leg,” Obamissang Dimitri, an athlete who was taking part in the race, told reporters in a hospital where he was rushed to after the injury.

Bomb blasts occur sporadically in Southern Cameroons where Ambazonia Restoration Forces are seeking to create an independent nation known as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

By Nelly Epupa with files                                                    

France centre-back Raphael Varane, a World Cup winner in 2018 and runner-up last year, announced Thursday his retirement from international duty at the age of 29.

“I’ve been thinking about it for several months and I decided it was the right time for me to retire from international football,” Varane wrote on Instagram.

The Manchester United defender made his France debut in 2013 and won 93 caps for Les Bleus. He had been in the running to take over as captain following the retirement of Hugo Lloris last month.

“To represent our magnificent country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life. Each time I wore this special blue shirt I felt immense pride,” said Varane.

Varane’s decision to call time on his France career leaves Kylian Mbappe as the frontrunner for the captaincy, with Didier Deschamps’ side set to begin Euro 2024 qualifying at the end of March with a double-header against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

The former Real Madrid star played every minute of his country’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign as France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final.

He was one of five French players who also started the 2022 final defeat by Argentina on penalties, recovering from a leg injury that ruled him out of the start of the tournament.

“I’ll definitely miss these moments with you, but the time has come for the new generation to take over,” he said, thanking Deschamps and his coaching staff as well as the supporters.

“We have a group of talented young players who are ready to step up and who deserve their chance.”

Deschamps paid tribute to Varane and praised him for the leadership qualities he had brought to the team throughout his time with France.

“I cannot turn this page without some emotion, given the bonds we have formed,” said Deschamps, who gave Varane his international debut in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Georgia.

“I respect his decision even if it may seem a bit unfortunate given everything he was able to do with the national team through to the World Cup, during which he behaved like the leader we know he is from start to finish.”

Source: AFP

Besiktas have swooped to sign Vincent Aboubakar after his release from Al Nassr following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival,

Aboubakar’s contract was terminated by the Saudi Arabian club to make way for Ronaldo, as the Saudi League rules state that clubs can only register up to eight foreign players per squad.

The arrival of Aboubakar is a replacement for Wout Weghorst, who cut short his loan in Turkey and joined Manchester United from Burnley.

Aboubakar is embarking on his third tenure with Besiktas, having already had two spells over the past five years.

He spearheaded the club to two Super Lig titles with an impressive 35 goals and nine assists in 67 matches.

The forward spent two seasons with Al-Nassr, scoring 13 goals in 39 games.

He impressed at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring one of the goals of the tournament and a winner against Brazil.

Source: Dailymail

Premier League (PL) club, Manchester United, have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Cameroon captain, Vincent Aboubakar on loan for the remainder of the 2022/2023 season from Saudi Arabian outfit, Al-Nassr.

The Red Devils are currently in the winter transfer market for a new forward after terminating Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract after the just concluded World Cup in Qatar.

The Portugal captain was later signed by Al-Nassr, thereby linking up with Aboubakar, who currently plies his trade with the Saudi-Arabia club. 

Aboubakar since joining the club 18 months ago has netted 13 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions for Al-Nassr this includes 4 goals from the 12 matches he has so far played this season.

Man United, after making inquiries, from the Middle East side, have been told that Aboubakar will be available and that the club is willing to let the 30-year-old leave on loan.

Al-Nassr was disposed to the deal because they have exceeded the limit for non-Saudi Arabian players in their first-team squad following the arrival of Ronaldo and they cannot register the five-time Ballon d’Or winner until one of their 7 foreign players leaves the club.

According to Saudi Arabian news outlet OKAZ, Man United and Turkish giants, Fenerbahce have an agreement in place to take Aboubakar on loan this January, with the Cameroonian expected to favour a move to the Premier League.

Aboubakar’s potential temporary move to Old Trafford would be a perfect deal for both Man United and Al-Nassr, as it will mean the former would have strengthened Erik ten Hag’s options in the attack, while the latter will also be able to officially register Ronaldo.

Source: The Nicheng