Cameroon’s ability to host the 2021 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) has once again been put to doubt as the company charged with the construction of the main stadium for the competition has abandoned the project.

The Cameroon government withdrew the contract for the construction of the Olembe Sports Complex in Yaoundé on grounds that Italian company Piccini was not delivering on time.

The complex that includes a 60,000 capacity stadium to host the opening game of the tournament was due to be completed in December last year but the government says Piccini unilaterally abandoned the project site.

Cameroon’s minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, said the construction of the complex, including the stadium named after the country’s long-serving president Paul Biya, had been rescinded from the Italian company and awarded to Canadian firm, MAGIL Construction.

In a statement on Friday which cancelled the contract of the Italian company, Mouelle Kombi said the work had been abandoned even after the government showed good faith by making available the sum of FCFA 2 billion (3.3 million US dollars)to get work started. The minister had earlier issued a two-week ultimatum for Piccini to complete the pitch.

In reaction, Piccini in a communiqué said it could seek legal action both at national and international levels for the government decision to be reversed.

The new contractor, MAGIL that was due to start work yesterday has promised to deliver the infrastructure by June 2020. Franck Mathiere, the firm’s Vice president for International Operations said in Yaounde on Tuesday that they will complete the works within record time.

“We will immediately work on the stadium, especially the pitch before the next inspection by the Confederation of African Football. A greater part of the work has already been done and we are going to use Canadian expertise to complete it,” Franck Mathiere said.

The Canadian company is also in charge of renovating the decades old Reunification Stadium in Douala.

Source: Daily Nation

The Cameroon striker heralded his return to the Dragons’ starting XI with two second-half goals on Thursday

Vincent Aboubakar scored a brace in his first start of the season to help Porto secure a 2-1 comeback win over Young Boys in their Europa League game.

Aboubakar last started a game for the Portuguese giants in September 2018 against Tondela, in a league fixture where he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament which eventually ruled him out of the entire 2018-19 season.

On Thursday, Porto found themselves behind in Bern as early as in the sixth minute but the 27-year-old’s partnership with Mali’s Moussa Marega saved them from defeat.

Marega provided the assists as Aboubakar found the back of the net in the 75th and 79th minutes.

The Cameroonian’s brilliance in front of goal sealed Porto’s second win in Group G as they moved to second spot with seven points after five games.

Aboubakar will be aiming to maintain his goalscoring form when the Dragons host Pacos Ferreira on Monday. Their final Europa League group game is against Feyenoord on December 12.

Source: Goal.com

The 37-year-old has returned to his former club in Turkey, where he will take up his first coaching job

Istanbul Basaksehir have confirmed the appointment of Cameroon legend Pierre Webo as one of their assistant coaches.

On Tuesday, the Istanbul outfit announced the return of Webo to the club, alongside Ekrem Dag, as assistants to manager Okan Buruk.

The former Cameroon forward played for the Owls from 2011 to 2013, and boasts of vast experience in Turkey having previously turned out for Fenerbahce, Osmanlispor, and Gaziantep FK before he hung up his boots earlier this year.

During his seven-year stint in Turkey, Webo won the Turkish Super Lig title, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup at Fenerbahce.

The 37-year-old will be hoping to help Istanbul Basaksehir, who are placed third in the Super Lig standings, to end their wait for a top-flight crown after finishing as runners-up last campaign.

Source: Goal.com

Former Cameroon midfielder Modeste M’bami has turned down an offer to become his country’s new team manager.

The 37-year-old retired in 2016 and Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot) wanted him to succeed Salomon Olembe, who worked under former head coach Clarence Seedorf at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

But the former Paris St-Germain and Marseille midfielder said his appointment to work alongside new head coach Tony Coneicao was made by Fecafoot without prior consultation.

“I decline the offer of my appointment to the position of Team Manager of the national men’s team A ‘of Cameroon,” M’bami said in a statement.

“I remain convinced that the appointment to such an important position should meet certain prerequisites; discussion with the person concerned, specifically about the project, the working conditions and collaboration that would be presented in the agreement, ‘the contract’.”

Capped 38 times by his country, the 2000 Olympic Games football gold medallist also cited the poor treatment of former players in same role also contributed to his decision.

“Given the fact that some former footballers before me have been appointed and have always suffered humiliation in the exercise of their duties, which has always led to their dismissal without means,” he added.

“In view of all the above, I can easily draw the conclusion that the change of personnel in different positions is not the real solution to the scourge that undermines our football in general and our national teams in particular.”

Born in the capital city of Yaoundé, M’bami played professionally in France, Spain, China, Saudi Arabia and Colombia.

A former youth international, he represented the Indomitable Lions at the 2003 Fifa Confederations Cup and two Nations Cup tournaments in 2004 and 2008.

Source: BBC

Celtic star Olivier Ntcham’s saga with his national teams has been well documented, now he says he rejected Cameroon’s offer.

Olivier Ntcham has the opportunity to play for two national squads: France and Cameroon. Until now, the midfielder has exclusively played for the French national team. Just a few days ago, The Celtic Bhoys pointed out that Olivier Ntcham was mysteriously left off of either country’s U-21 squads.

The reason for the snub has now been revealed. As Celts Are Here has pointed out, a player with multiple nationalities has the opportunity to switch allegiances until they have reached a senior team with one country in particular.

This is the case for Olivier Ntcham, as he has played for France his entire career, but now Cameroon looks like the option Olivier Ntcham would like to pursue, except that he didn’t this time around.

Speaking to the Celtic View, a Celtic magazine publication, and transcribed by Celts Are Here, this is what the Lazio hero had to say about the national team status:

“The Cameroon manager approached me last year about it we talked and I told him my targets.

“We spoke again recently when I was preparing for the Europa League games but I told him international football was not my priority right now because I had to make sure I got back in the Celtic team first.

“Once I do that, then I can think about football. My parents are both from Cameroon but I’ve never been there myself. I think my parents would be happier if I played with France.”

You love to hear that from a blooming star, the fact that he wants to put his own club ahead of his personal international pursuits is huge. Also something of interesting note, is that it sounds like he still wants to play for France, and so does his parents.

While that would be a huge blow for the Cameroonian squad, the level of development he could get with the French squad would go a long way in his pursuit of club goals. A great example of this is current teammate Odsonne Edouard who is excelling with the French U-21 squad.

Source: The Celticbhoys

Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) on Wednesday sacked the head coach of its national U-17 football team, Thomas Libiih for the team’s poor performance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup that is underway in Brazil.

“Following the premature exit of the U-17 male national football team of Cameroon from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Cameroon Football Federation puts an end to thefunctions of coach Thomas Libiih and that of the entire technical, administrative, and medical staff,” the federation’s president, Seidou Mbombo Njoya said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

Njoya also said, Libiih and his staff had refused to sign the code of conduct of the national football team.

Cameroon were knocked out of the championship in the first round after losing all their three group matches, scoring one and conceding six goals.

Libiih qualified Cameroon for the FIFA U-17 World Cup after winning the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations following a 5-3 win against Guinea on penalties during the final in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanian in April.

Cameroon’s last participation at the FIFA U-17 World Cup was in 2003.

Source: Xinhuanet

After over a year out of the national team, the forward has been recalled for the Indomitable Lions’ crucial fixtures scheduled for next week

Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar has been selected for Cameroon’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Cape Verde and Rwanda.

Although he is yet to play for Porto this season, Aboubakar has fought his way back to good shape after going under the knife for an anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in September 2018.

The injury ruled the 27-year-old out of Afcon 2019 in Egypt but he is now set to make his first appearance for the Indomitable Lions since March 2018.

Also included in Antonio Conceicao’s 21-man squad is China-based Christian Bassogog, Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, PSG star Eric Choupo-Moting while Angers talisman Stephane Bahoken and Dynamo Moscow’s Clinton Njie are on the waiting list.

Cameroon will host Cape Verde on November 13 before travelling to Rwanda for their second Group F fixture.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Andre Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Fabrice Ondoa (KV Ostende, Belgium), Haschou Kerrido (CK Kamsar, Guinea)

Defenders: Jean Charles Castelleto (Brest, France), Fai Collins Ngoran (Standard Liege, Belgium), Michael Ngadeu (Gent, Belgium), Ambroise Oyongo (Montpellier, France), Jerome Onguene (RB Salzburg, Austria), Dawa Joyskim (Mariupol, Ukraine).

Midfielders: Pierre Kunde Malong (Mainz, Germany), Djoum Arnaud (Al Raed, Saudi Arabia),Bombock Franck (Maritimo, Portugal), Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa (Villarreal, Spain), Olinga Fabrice (Royal Mouscron, Belgium).

Forwards: Karl Toko Ekambi (Villarreal, Spain), Aboubakar Vincent (FC Porto, Portugal), Moumie Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland), Jean Pierre Nsame (Young Boys, Switzerland), Didier Lamkel Ze (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Ganago Ignatius (Nice, France), Christian Bassogog (Hernan Jianye, China), Eric Choupo-Moting (PSG, France).

Waiting List

Harold Moukoudi (Saint-Etienne, France), Olivier Ntcham (Celtic, Scotland), Jeando Fuchs (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Clinton Njie (Dynamo Moscow, Russia), Stephane Bahoken (Angers, France).

Source: Goal.com

Samuel Eto’o is up there with George Weah as an African great on the football field, but he says he has no plans to follow the Liberian into politics “for the moment”.

“Everyone wants me to go into politics, but there won’t be 10 million Weahs,” Eto’o said in an exclusive interview with AFP.

Weah, the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or, became president of Liberia in January 2018.

“Everyone is born with their own star. Everyone at some point gets involved in politics at their own level, but, for the moment, it doesn’t interest me.”

The 38-year-old Cameroon legend recently brought the curtain down on a glittering playing career during which he won the UEFA Champions League twice with Barcelona and once more with Inter Milan.

An idol in his homeland, Eto’o gave his backing to Paul Biya — who has ruled the country for 37 years — before his re-election in 2018.

Biya is 86 and is dealing with a major crisis in Cameroon as a two-year secession drive by anglophone separatists has claimed thousands of lives.

Main opposition leader Maurice Kamto walked free from jail earlier this month after a military court ordered his release at Biya’s behest.

Of his supposed political ambitions, Eto’o added: “A lot of people might be saying that it’s an idea I have, but I say to them it doesn’t exist in my mind at the moment.

“But every citizen has the right. If you want to stand, nobody is going to stop you. But in our country it is as though it is something reserved for certain people. Personally it is not an objective.”

The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner says he wants to move into coaching, although he has also taken a role with the Confederation of African Football.

“My role is to lobby the different federations to convince them to adhere to the work being done by president (Ahmad) Ahmad,” he said.

Source: AFP

The 25-year-old returned to the field on Sunday after battling a heart condition that ruled him out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Cameroon forward Joel Tagueu has described his return to football as a victory after recovering from a heart ailment.

The Cruzeiro attacker made his first appearance in over five months as a 77th-minute substitute in his side’s 2-1 victory over Corinthians in the Brazilian top-flight on Sunday.

Tagueu was dropped from Cameroon’s squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, a day before their campaign opener against Guinea-Bissau due to an “anomaly of an implantation of a coronary artery”.

His exclusion reduced the Indomitable Lions squad to 22 players as the country crashed out in the Round of 16 stage of the continental showpiece in Egypt.

Following his recovery from the battle against the heart problem, Tagueu described his return as a dream come true after various medical consultations.

“It’s been a very difficult moment for me. I’ve had to wait for a month to get a final decision on my situation,” Tagueu in his first public comments, per BBC Sport.

“I’ve had to consult several cardiologists across Brazil to get different opinions and I’ve been working with the best cardiologists in the country and I’m glad that everything went on well.

“Being able to play again is a victory and being able to suit up for my team is just like a dream come true.”

The 25-year-old spent last season on loan with Maritimo where he returned eight goals after 30 matches in Brazil’s Serie A.

Tagueu recalled his reaction to his omission from Cameroon’s 2019 Afcon squad and revealed how Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu and France’s Eric Abidal inspired his fight against the heart condition.

“I was shocked when I was dropped from the Cameroon squad for the Afcon in Egypt. But I was less anxious because the doctors were calm and said it was curable,” he added.

“But other players in the past like Kanu or Abidal have undergone surgery for other health issues and have continued playing so I’m not worried.”

Meanwhile, Cruzeiro team doctor Sergio Campolina said the club recalled the Nkongsamba-born forward because he is back in top shape after approval from two of Brazil’s most renowned cardiology institutions.

“The medical protocol with the Cameroon team is different and because recently they lost a player due to heart related complications, they decided to drop Joel,” Campolina said.

“We have assurances about Joel’s health so we’ve decided to recall him to the team and we’re happy with this decision.”

Source: Goal.com