Sports

31, July 2018

Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert linked with Cameroon hotseat after Sven-Goran Eriksson talks ⁰

African champions Cameroon are reportedly considering a sensational coaching duo of two Dutch legends while confirming that former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has met for talks over the vacancy.

The Indomitable Lions have been without a leader since sacking AFCON-winning coach Hugo Broos after his failure to guide the nation to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Iconic Netherlands duo Patrick Kluivert and Clarence Seedorf have now emerged as serious contenders for the job, according to Foot Mercato.

After enjoying illustrious playing careers in Europe and with The Oranje, both are relatively inexperienced in comparison to the other contender Seven Goran Eriksson.

Kluivert’s most high profile job after professional football came in the form of an assistant coach role with the Dutch national team, while more recently he served as a technical director at Paris Saint-Germain.

Seedorf, meanwhile, held a caretaker coaching tole at former club AC Milan before brief stints in China and with LaLiga outfit Deportivo La Coruna.

While the Cameroon Football Federation confirmed Eriksson has held talks, his excessive wage demands could be the stumbling block as he too holds another offer from the Iraq national team.

“After spending 72 hours, Sven-Goran Eriksson left Yaoundé on Saturday 28 July 2018,” Fecafootannounced on Twitter.

“The Swedish manager was invited to Cameroon for a discussion in connection with the recruitment of a head coach for the senior national side – the Indomitable Lions.

“After the interview with Sven-Goran Eriksson and taking into account the other existing offers, Fecafoot will reveal in the next few days its choice of permanent coach for our national team.”

Source: KickOff

31, July 2018

Biya regime could lose AFCON 2019 hosting rights ⁰

Former Egypt goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir has said Cameroon would be stripped of the hosting rights for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco already lined up as replacement.

Widespread media reports in Egypt on Monday suggested that severe delays in the progress of work has resulted in the decision to strip Cameroon of the right to host the competition.

According to reports in Egypt, a final decision is expected to by taken during the CAF Congress in September with an inspection mission in Cameroon in the month of August unlikely to take place.

Ahmad refused to answer questions on the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon on Monday on Egyptian television, saying it would be discussed at CAF’s extraordinary congress in September to be held in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

Authorities in Cameroon have maintained the country is ready to host the tournament which has been expanded to 24 teams for the first time.

The Prime Minister and Head of Government Philemon Yang was in one of the host cities, Douala to assess the level of works. He has also been to other construction sites around the country.

Source: Journal du Cameroun

30, July 2018

FIFA World Cup: Turks in Berlin protest ‘unfair’ media coverage in Ozil case ⁰

Turkish community representatives gathered outside Europe’s largest publishing house in Berlin on Sunday to protest against alleged unfair media coverage.

Around 100 people protested outside the Axel Springer HQ – home of Bild, Die Welt, and Fakt – under the motto “I am Ozil” in reference to scandal over German footballer of Turkish origin Mesut Ozil.

Many demonstrators held Turkish flags and wore jerseys with Ozil’s name on them as well as T-shirts depicting the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Earlier in the month, Ozil retired from international football at the age of 29, citing ‘disrespect, insults and pressure’. He and teammate Ilkay Gundogan were widely criticized for posing in a photograph alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with many questioning their loyalty to Germany’s values.

(Source: Ruptly)

29, July 2018

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson spotted in Yaounde ⁰

Former England and Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has reportedly been lined up to coach Cameroon national team after being spotted in the central African country on Thursday.

Eriksson, who has also been strongly linked with the Iraq job, is said to have demanded an annual salary of €1.9 million, while the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) is negotiating for a lesser amount.

The reigning African champions are with no substantive coach since last December when Belgian Hugo Broos was sacked following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Source: Goal.com

26, July 2018

Mbappe, Salah shortlisted for FIFA player of the year award ⁰

France’s World Cup star Kylian Mbappe joined regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s player award, world soccer’s governing body announced on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France’s World Cup winning campaign.

He became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final as France powered past Croatia 4-2 to win the sport’s top prize for the second time, 20 years after their first triumph.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, the top scorer in European club football last year, scored 44 goals for the Premier League side Liverpool in all competitions. The current African footballer of the year, Salah, would be the first player from the continent to win the FIFA prize since Liberian striker – and current president – George Weah in 1995.

The other players in the 10-man list are Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane.

Brazil and Paris St Germain forward Neymar missed out on a nomination.

Source: Reuters

23, July 2018

Matip admits he has to fight for Liverpool place under Klopp ⁰

The Cameroon defender missed the end of last season through injury but could be set to start the season alongside Virgil van Dijk

Joel Matip is ready to fight for his Liverpool place this season – and believes the Reds are assembling a squad capable of challenging for major honours.

The Cameroon international has returned to action this summer having missed the final weeks of the last campaign with a thigh injury.

In that time, Matip had to watch as Liverpool reached the Champions League final without him, and saw Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk establish themselves as the Reds’ first-choice centre-back pairing.

Source: Goal.com

20, July 2018

Cameroon Lost Kylian Mbappe To France Due To Corruption ⁰

Cameroonian father of the World Cup sensation Kylian Mbappe says that he wanted his son to play for the Central African nation but the dream was crushed due to corruption.

In a widely circulated statement, Wilfried Mbappe is quoted saying “someone” at the Cameroon FA charged a sum of money he could not part with for his son to be called up to the Indomitable Lions.

“At first, I wanted my son to play for Cameroon but, someone at the Cameroon Football Federation charged a sum of money that I didn’t have to make him play.

The French didn’t charge anything,” the senior Mbappe reportedly said. Kylian, 19, was among the shining lights for France in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia, scoring four goals including one in the 4-2 win against Croatia in the Final last Sunday.

He became the second teenager to score in a World Cup Final after the legendary Pele. Cash for national team call-ups is rampant in Africa where corruption and patronage supersedes merit.

Kylian believes that players should not be paid to turnout for their national teams because it is a big honor to serve your country.

The former Monaco forward, who recently moved to Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in the French Ligue 1, disclosed that he would donate his World Cup earnings to charity.

Source: Kahawatungu

17, July 2018

Ronaldo says ‘will fight to win Champions League’ for Juventus ⁰

Five time World Player of the year and now the record signing for Italian club Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo has said his move from Real Madrid was a “well thought out decision”, adding that aims to help his new club win their first Champions League title in more than two decades.

Ronaldo, who joined the Italian champions last week on a four-year contract for 100 million euros ($117.07 million), added that he did not want to stay in his comfort zone after winning three straight European Cups with Real.

The 33-year-old left Los Blancos as their all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions and won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies over nine years.

“I’m a person who likes to think about the present,” he told a news conference on Monday. “I’m still very young and I always liked the challenges, from Sporting, to Manchester (United), to Real (Madrid) and now Juventus.

“It was a well thought-out decision. It is the best club in Italy. It has an outstanding manager (Massimiliano Allegri) and coaches so it was not a difficult decision to take.”

“I am very ambitious and I like new challenges. I hope everything will go very well. Luck always helps but you have to look for it.”

Why Italy, not Qatar or China?

Ronaldo said he was grateful for the opportunity to represent Juventus, admitting players of his age usually settle for a move to less competitive leagues in Qatar or China.

“Usually players think their careers are over when they are 33. But I don’t feel that at all,” he said, adding that this showed he was “different from the others”.

“(Juve) is a big club and usually players of my age go to Qatar or to China, with all due respect, so coming to such an important and great club at this stage in my career makes me very happy.”

Ronaldo said one of the factors in joining Juve was the standing ovation given to him by the Turin club’s fans on his last visit, when he scored an astonishing overhead kick for Real in the Champions League quarter-finals.

“It was a really stunning moment for me,” he added. “Being welcomed this way is so rewarding. It increases your motivation to start a new adventure.”

Juventus plot European comeback

The signing of the five-times world player of the year and Champions League top scorer for the last six seasons is a major coup for Juve, who have lifted the Serie A title for the last seven seasons but have not won Europe’s top prize since 1996.

“We are going to fight not only for the Champions League but for the Serie A title,” said Ronaldo. “We know competition will be tough but we must stay concentrated.

“I hope I can help Juventus win it (the Champions League). They couldn’t win (last year) because even when you get to the final nothing is written. I hope I can be the lucky star of this club but we will see what happens.”

Ronaldo scored twice when Real beat Juventus 4-1 in the 2017 Champions League final in between triumphs over Atletico Madrid and Liverpool in Europe’s elite club competition.

The Portugal captain took his goalscoring form to the World Cup in Russia and netted four times, but failed to lead the European champions beyond the last-16 stage.

Ronaldo said he would start training with Juve on July 30 and hoped to feature in the opening match of their title defence in August. The fixtures will be announced later this month.

REUTERS

17, July 2018

FIFA World Cup: 550,000 fans welcome Croatian team in Zagreb ⁰

Zagreb’s Ban Jelacic square proved too small to fit all the fans who wanted to participate in the welcome party for the Croatian national team on Monday, who came back from Russia a few hours earlier.

Supporters of Croatian national football team celebrate during the team welcoming ceremony at the Bana Jelacica Square in Zagreb on July 16, 2018, after reaching the final at the Russia 2018 World Cup. (AFP)

According to police authorities, around 550,000 fans lined up along the route of the open bus tour, which took the team from Zagreb’s Franjo Tudjman airport to Ban Jelacic square.

The runner-up medal at the 2018 World Cup is the highest achievement in Croatian national football history.

Source: Presstv

16, July 2018

Roger Milla tried to persuade Umtiti to play for Cameroon ⁰

Before having picked France as his national team, Samuel Umtiti was approached by Roger Milla, who tried to persuade the player to don Cameroon’s colours.

The African legend even travelled to France in 2015 to convince the current Barcelona defender to join his national team.

“The president of the French Federation told us that Umtiti will have to wait four years to make his way up the ladder because there are many players in his position,” Milla said at the time.

“If he wants to play in a World Cup, he has to decide for Cameroon, now or never.”

Three years later, Umtiti scored France’s first goal in the semi-final against Belgium, to lead Les Bleus to Sunday’s final against Croatia.

The 24-year-old defender already won the U20 World Cup in 2013, having been part of a team that also consisted of players such as Paul Pogba, Alphonse Areola and Florian Thauvin.

Umtiti, who was born in Cameroon but moved to France at the age of two, has explained his decision to play for Les Bleus.

“I have family [in Cameroon], but I’ve only been there twice,” he told ESPN. “It’s part of my roots, but I don’t remember what it was like to live there and my decision has been thought through.

“I wanted to defend French colours from the beginning and it’s logical and natural, as I grew up here. “I had my training here and I played with Les Bleus in all the lower categories.”

Source: Marca.com