Sports

16, May 2025

Football: Emmanuel Kunde dies aged 68 ⁰

African football has been struck with yet devastating news following the death of one of its revered sons Emmanuel Kunde, heralded as one of the greatest defenders of all time from Africa.

Former Cameroon international Emmanuel Kunde passed away at the age of 68, on Friday, May 16 leaving behind a legacy that helped shape African football across two golden decades.

According to initial reports, the legendary centre-back went to bed on the evening of Thursday, May 15, and tragically never woke up. His remains have been deposited at the Yaoundé Central Hospital mortuary, pending further announcements from the family.

Among the many tributes pouring in, Cameroon FA president and African football icon Samuel Eto’o shared his sorrow via Instagram, using sad face emojis to mourn the fallen legend. Meanwhile, UK-based Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana also expressed deep shock at the news, stating: “This is sad to hear. What happened?” He went on to describe Kunde as a footballer whose game intelligence and physicality made life miserable for even the most clinical strikers.

Who is Emmanuel Kunde? Kunde’s name resonates across generations not just because of his decorated CV but due to the commanding aura he brought to the game. Known for his strength, tactical intelligence, and versatility, he operated primarily as a central defender, but was equally effective as a defensive midfielder.

He remains Cameroon’s fifth-most-capped player and, remarkably, is also among their top 10 goal scorers — a rare feat for someone in his position. His eye for goal, especially in set-piece situations, became a signature weapon for the Indomitable Lions.

Kunde was instrumental in Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations triumphs in 1984 and 1988. On the world stage, he represented his country at the 1982 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, with the latter tournament marking Cameroon’s historic run to the quarter-finals, a first for an African nation. He began his football journey at Mbankomo FC before featuring for clubs such as Canon, Tempête de Nanga-Eboko FC, Provenance, and Olympic Mvolyé. Following his retirement from active play, Kunde took his leadership skills to the dugout, managing teams including PWD Bamenda, Canon Yaoundé and US Bitam across two spells.

Source: yen.com

15, May 2025

Football: Real Madrid delay Barca celebrations with late win over Mallorca ⁰

Los Blancos cut the gap on the Catalan giants to four points ahead of Barcelona’s visit to neighbours Espanyol on Thursday, where they can wrap up the title with a victory.

Trailing for much of the game after Martin Valjent’s 11th-minute opener, two second-half goals for Madrid ensured their arch-rivals did not claim their 28th La Liga title just yet.

Madrid needed to win to deny Barca and Kylian Mbappe’s equaliser and Jacobo Ramon’s 95th-minute strike allowed them to do just that.

Los Blancos’ defeat by Barcelona on Sunday in the Clasico left the Catalans on the brink of the title but Carlo Ancelotti’s side showed fighting spirit in the final stages against Mallorca.

“The team played very well, it fought a lot, played with a lot of intensity and it was a totally deserved victory,” said Ancelotti.

“We are happy because we want to finish the season well and this game didn’t start well but afterwards we did very well in all senses.”

Madrid coach Ancelotti is departing to take charge of the Brazilian national team at the end of a disappointing season in the Spanish capital, and has two games left in his post.

The Italian’s Madrid side, riddled with injury problems, were without Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes among other star names as Mallorca visited the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Having 12 players injured is very strange, we were able to overcome the absences with a good attitude, individually and as a group,” added Ancelotti.

The islanders, ninth, are hoping for European football for the first time since 2004 and put up a strong performance.

Madrid’s 18-year-old striker Endrick, whom Ancelotti may call up for Brazil in the future, came close early on but Leo Roman tipped his effort away.

Mallorca took an early lead when Valjent received the ball on the right of the box in an ocean of space.

The defender took his shot early and beat Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, making his 200th La Liga appearance.

Roman made a fine save to thwart England international Jude Bellingham as Madrid pushed for an equaliser.

The stopper, who also excelled for Mallorca in a recent narrow defeat at Barcelona, denied Mbappe and then Fede Valverde before the break.

Eventually Mbappe found a breakthrough for Madrid after 68 minutes, with some superb footwork to escape three Mallorca players trying to shut him down, and he drilled past Roman.

It was Mbappe’s 40th goal of a productive season on a personal level, although his team are set to end it without a major trophy and having been beaten four times by Barcelona across all competitions.

Source: France 24

7, May 2025

Inter edges Barcelona after extra time to reach Champions League final ⁰

Inter Milan beat Barcelona 4-3 after extra time in another rollercoaster encounter Tuesday to reach a second Champions League final in three years.

In the end it took extra time, two astonishing Barcelona fightbacks and 13 goals — some of them mesmerising — to separate the two sides and see Inter prevail 7-6 on aggregate.

Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground and all his Nerazzurri teammates — including those on the bench — racing to celebrate with him.

Moments earlier, Frattesi had been encouraging the already loud San Siro crowd to make more noise and the atmosphere grew even more feverish after his strike.

Inter, which lost the final to Manchester City in 2023, will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London last week in their first match.

There was little sign of the drama to come at halftime, with Inter comfortably leading 2-0 after Lautaro Martínez scored and earned a penalty, which was converted by Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

But Barcelona had been in that position before, having gone 2-0 down early in the first leg last week before securing a thrilling 3-3 draw.

And Eric García scored nine minutes after the break before Dani Olmo headed in the equaliser six minutes later.

Raphina appeared to have secured the win for Barcelona when he put the Spanish side ahead two minutes before full time, tucking away the rebound after Yann Sommer had saved his initial shot.

However, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi astonishingly leveled in stoppage time — with his first goal in European competition — to add another 30 minutes onto the tantalising encounter.

Frattesi had proved crucial off the substitutes’ bench before, both for Italy and Inter, and so he was again, controlling Mehdi Taremi’s pass and dummying round Pau Cubarsí before curling past Wojciech Szczęsny.

Barcelona almost leveled again but Sommer made a fingertip save to push Lamine Yamal’s shot past his post.

Source: AP

5, May 2025

Harry Kane finally claims his first career title as Bayern Munich win 34th Bundesliga title ⁰

Bayern Munich confirmed their return to domestic dominance by securing their 34th league title on Sunday after rivals Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at Freiburg, but rescaling the summit of German football was harder than it looked.

The Bavarians, who had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles in a record league run between 2013 and 2023, had seen Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen race to a domestic league and cup double last season without a single defeat in either competition. New Bayern coach Vincent Kompany had his work cut out with Bayern urgently looking for direction after a turbulent period under his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, who left the club at the end of last season.

Unlike some former Bayern coaches, including Tuchel, Kompany lacked experience coaching a big club with the former Belgium international having previously coached Anderlecht and Burnley.

Bayern bosses were prepared to take the risk and it paid off with Kompany quickly establishing control in the changing room.

Bayern were desperate for a good start in the current season in order to put an early marker down in the title race and they bagged four straight wins to kick off the campaign, before carving out a 1-1 draw against the reigning champions.

With Leverkusen no longer invincible this season and lacking last year’s consistency, Bayern gradually pulled away and by the 11th matchday had a six-point advantage, having shaken off Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund as possible title rivals.

The Bavarians were lethal in attack with Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane in top form but struggled with their backline throughout the season.

A string of injuries in recent weeks that sidelined several key defenders compounded the problem and Saturday’s 3-3 draw with RB Leipzig took their goals conceded tally to 32, an average of one goal per league match this season.

But Kompany’s team have been lethal up front, bagging 93 goals in 32 matches.

With 24 goals, Kane was once more Bayern’s guarantee in attack with the England captain looking set to become the first player in Bundesliga history to be crowned top scorer in both his first two seasons in the league.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, England’s all-time top scorer and second on the all-time Premier League scorers’ list, Kane had won a hatful of individual awards.

He had, however, no single team trophy to show for his efforts after 400-odd goals for clubs and country and with talk of a ‘Kane title curse’ developing over the years.

Kane had spent the majority of his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, playing for the London club from 2009-2023 with some loan spells in between, prior to joining Bayern in a league record transfer worth 100 million euros ($114 million).

In England he had failed to win a trophy with Spurs, being Champions League runners-up in 2019, while also reaching consecutive finals at Euro 2020 and 2024 with the national team.

So his move to Bayern, Germany’s record champions and six-time European champions, was all about finally adding trophies to his goal-scoring records and fulfilling his title-winning ambitions.

While fans were unhappy with the club’s decision not to offer talisman Thomas Mueller a new contract, the 35-year-old, who will leave at the end of the season after 25 years at Bayern, did manage to reach the 500-league-match milestone before his departure.

He was only the fourth player in Bundesliga history to achieve that feat while playing for just one club and he has now extended his record-breaking haul of league titles to 13.

The Bavarians failed to get past the quarter-finals in the Champions League after their 4-3 aggregate loss to Italy’s Inter Milan last month and they also lost to Leverkusen in the German Cup round of 16, leaving the league title as their only possible trophy for the season.

But they would not be denied in the league as they kept second-placed Leverkusen at bay in the final sprint to the finish line.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

2, May 2025

Football: Real Madrid boss Ancelotti set for Brazil talks ⁰

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is set for more talks about taking over as Brazil coach before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

The 65-year-old Italian will meet representatives acting on behalf of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF).

Ancelotti said his future was “a topic for the next weeks, not today”, following Real’s stormy Copa del Rey final defeat by Barcelona in Seville on Saturday.

However, Brazilian businessman Diego Fernandes, who has been acting on behalf of the CBF, was spotted at the match.

It is understood Fernandes’ latest visit to Europe includes a plan to try to persuade Ancelotti to take the Brazil job as soon as the Spanish domestic season is over.

That would mean Ancelotti leaving Real before this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States.

Ancelotti is the number one choice to replace Dorival Junior, who was sacked after Brazil’s 4-1 defeat by old rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires last month.

Brazil are fourth in the South American World Cup qualification table.

While they are not in any danger of failing to qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament to be jointly held in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, the CBF feels Ancelotti would give Brazil the best chance of winning it.

The CBF previously wanted to appoint Ancelotti for last summer’s Copa America but failed in its pursuit.

Ancelotti has won two La Liga and three Champions League titles across two spells at Real, including both trophies last season.

However, his side are four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona with five matches remaining and were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is reportedly a candidate to replace Ancelotti at the Bernabeu.

Source: BBC

30, April 2025

Football: Dembele goal gives PSG narrow advantage over Arsenal in Champions League ⁰

Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, with Ousmane Dembele scoring early at the Emirates. PSG controlled the game to protect their lead and head into the May 7 return leg in Paris as favourites to reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Paris Saint-Germain seized the advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal as Ousmane Dembele sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg on Tuesday.

Dembele struck in the opening minutes at the Emirates Stadium and Luis Enrique’s side held on to the lead with a composed display that kept Arsenal at bay.

PSG will head into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7 as favourites to reach the final against Barcelona or Inter Milan as they look to win the tournament for the first time.

But the French champions should take nothing for granted given their history of epic European collapses.

Arsenal’s first defeat in 18 home European matches was a painful blow to their own bid to win a first Champions League crown.

Mikel Arteta had labelled Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals a “beautiful story”.

The last chapter might make for frustrating reading, but they aren’t dead and buried just yet.

The Gunners had beaten holders Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate to reach their first Champions League semi-final since losing to Manchester United in 2009.

They could not replicate the swaggering display that blew Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg, despite a frenzied atmosphere as kick-off approached.

When Arsenal’s players gathered for a pre-match huddle in the tunnel, Declan Rice implored his team-mates to give everything as he roared “if we don’t have the ball we die”.

A video message from Arteta played on the Emirates screens struck a similarly rousing chord as the Spaniard urged fans to raise the roof.

But PSG had already eliminated Premier League champions Liverpool in the last 16 and Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, after coming back from two goals down to beat Manchester City in the league phase.

Arsenal were the one English side they had failed to conquer, losing 2-0 in north London in October.

However, PSG were without the influential Dembele for disciplinary reasons on that occasion and Luis Enrique insisted his side were “more complete” seven months on.

Source: France 24

24, April 2025

Man Utd strike agreement with Cameroon wonderkid ⁰

Manchester United have reportedly struck an agreement for Le Havre’s Enzo Kana-Biyik, who is set to become Ruben Amorim’s first summer signing.

According to French outlet L’Équipe, United are preparing to complete the signing of Kana-Biyik, a teenage striker who has impressed with Le Havre’s reserves. Known for his physical attributes, the 18-year-old forward has built a reputation for being strong in duels while also displaying surprising agility and quick movement for his stature. Despite not yet featuring for Le Havre’s senior side, his performances have consistently drawn the eyes of scouts, and United have acted decisively to beat out competition for his signature.

Kana-Biyik is no stranger to footballing pedigree. He hails from a family with deep roots in the sport – his father, André Kana-Biyik, represented Cameroon at the international level, while his brother, Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik, also earned caps for the national team.

With such a legacy behind him, expectations are already high, and Manchester United will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of another famous alumnus from Le Havre – Paul Pogba. The World Cup winner made the leap from the same youth setup to United at the age of 16, and the club appears to be following a similar path with Kana-Biyik.

Kana-Biyik was not short of options, with both Monaco and Marseille also attempting to woo the young striker. He was even invited to visit OM’s prestigious Commanderie training centre as part of their recruitment pitch. However, it is believed that United’s long-term development plan, combined with Amorim’s personal interest in his progression, convinced the player and his representatives that England was the right destination.

Rather than fast-tracking the teenager directly into the senior setup at Old Trafford, United have a measured approach in mind. The club, in coordination with INEOS – the ownership group behind both Manchester United and FC Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland – plans to send Kana-Biyik on loan to the Swiss side next season. Lausanne, playing in the Swiss top flight, provides a platform for Kana-Biyik to transition from youth football to senior competition without the immediate pressure that would come from Premier League demands.

Source: Goal.com

18, April 2025

Indomitable Lions boss taken to FIFA by own agent ⁰

Brys has been in charge of the Indomitable Lions since 2024 and has gone undefeated in the 10 games he has coached the team. However, the Belgian now finds himself at the hands of FIFA.

Afrik-Foot revealed that Belgian publication Voetbalnieuws said that Brys’ agent, Ivo Chi, filed a complaint with FIFA over continued non-payment of commissions. It was estimated that the owed amount was more than €112,000 (R2.4 million).

Chi reportedly was key in helping Brys land the Cameroon job and now FIFA has been informed of the situation after it had been pending for a couple of months.

Brys has publicly clashed with Cameroon legend and president of the Cameroon Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o and he has been criticised for it by Tom Saintfiet, who has coached in Africa for years.

“If the government and the federation do not agree, there is a problem,” the current Mali coach said.

“And despite the egos, as a coach, you must always have respect for your chairman. The discussion we saw on television is unacceptable,” he added.

Source: Soccer Laduma

18, April 2025

French Cameroun: Bamboutos FC exits league after FECAFOOT harassment claims ⁰

The management of Bamboutos FC de Mbouda recently erupted in anger at the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), alleging a campaign of harassment and announcing their withdrawal from the ongoing MTN Elite One championship.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to Fecafoot President Samuel Eto’o Fils, the club stated, “We rightly note that our club is the target of a smear campaign orchestrated by the leadership of the football governing body in Cameroon. Match officials constantly distort the results of our games, with immediate effects on our ranking.” The letter served as notification of their decision to pull out of the league.

Attempts to contact Dechateau Kamdoum, the deputy president of Bamboutos FC de Mbouda, were unsuccessful. However, a senior figure within the team’s locker room corroborated the club’s claims, confirming that complaints regarding refereeing decisions have been a persistent issue since the season’s outset. “Last Sunday against Dynamo, it was impossible to play calmly because of the refereeing,” the source, who requested anonymity, disclosed. Dynamo de Douala ultimately won the match 1-0, much to the dismay of the “Mangwa Boys,” the club’s moniker.

This latest setback marks Bamboutos’ tenth defeat in 19 matches this season. With only three victories, their poor performance has relegated them to the bottom rungs of the league standings. Bamboutos FC de Mbouda currently sits in 14th place out of 16 teams, accumulating a mere 17 points – a relegation zone position that starkly contrasts with the club’s historically strong showings in MTN Elite One, where they were once considered a formidable contender.

The club’s management attributes this decline squarely to the federation, accusing them of orchestrating biased officiating. This is not an isolated incident, as Donald Ngameni, the former president of Unisport de Bafang, previously voiced similar concerns about refereeing standards. Fecafoot, however, has consistently denied these allegations. The federation maintains that Samuel Eto’o Fils’ leadership has elevated the quality of refereeing in Cameroon’s professional leagues.

“Samuel Eto’o brought Eddy Maillet to Cameroon to improve the quality of our referees and share his experience with them,” stated Stéphane Foko Kamga, president of Fecafoot’s Central Referees Commission (CCA), in February 2023. He added that this training aimed to align Cameroonian refereeing with the vision of the African Football Confederation (CAF) and continental standards.

Beyond refereeing disputes, financial grievances also fuel the conflict between the Mbouda club and Fecafoot. Bamboutos’ management is demanding over 90 million FCFA from the federation, representing various outstanding bonuses. The most significant portion of this sum is linked to Bamboutos’ triumph in the 2022–2023 Super Cup. This unpaid debt is cited as another key reason for their withdrawal from this year’s championship.

This is not the first instance of the club’s officials lodging such financial claims. They firmly believe that this demand, initially submitted in 2023, prompted Fecafoot to deny them a CAF license that same year, preventing the “Mangwa Boys” from participating in pan-African competitions. Fecafoot, however, contends that the club failed to meet all the necessary licensing requirements, citing outstanding player salaries as the primary reason for the rejection.

That particular episode significantly widened the chasm between the two entities. Many observers believe the ongoing feud is deeply intertwined with the deteriorating relationship between Samuel Eto’o Fils and Justin Tagouh, the former honorary president of Bamboutos FC. Once a fervent supporter of Fecafoot’s president, Tagouh has since become one of his most vocal critics.

Sources close to Samuel Eto’o Fils offer a contrasting perspective. Some suggest that Bamboutos FC is grappling with a severe internal crisis that threatens the club’s very foundation. A central issue is the departure of fans who were also significant financial contributors. This sentiment is echoed by the aforementioned player, who confided, “When the fans come to training, it’s to insult us.”

This toxic atmosphere, according to these sources, would explain the club’s financial woes. Indeed, the players staged a strike for several days at the beginning of the second half of the season, a fact confirmed by the anonymous source. Their protest centered on demands for several months of unpaid wages.

Source: Business in Cameroon

16, April 2025

Football: Gabon forward Boupendza dies aged 28 in China ⁰

Gabon international Aaron Boupendza has died at the age of 28 after reportedly falling from a building in China.

The forward featured for his country at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon and won a total of 35 caps for the Panthers.

He had joined Chinese club Zhejiang FC, based in the city of Hangzhou, from Romanian outfit Rapid Bucharest in January.

Boupendza began his career in his homeland with CF Mounana and went on to have spells with sides in France, Portugal, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Gabon’s football federation (Fegafoot) announced the news of his death on social media.

“Boupendza is remembered as a great striker who made his mark during the [Afcon] in Cameroon,” the statement said.

“Fegafoot and the Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his family.”

Gabon’s president-elect Gen Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was among those to pay tribute to Boupendza, describing him as “a talented centre-forward who brought honour to Gabonese football”.

Source: BBC