Sports

14, August 2018

CAF ‘impressed’ with Cameroon’s preparations for Nations Cup ⁰

The Confederation of African football’s (Caf) first vice-president, Amaju Pinnick, has backed Cameroon’s preparations to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Pinnick is chairman of Caf’s Nations Cup Organising Committee and was part of its latest fact-finding visit to Cameroon that concluded on Monday.

There have been concerns about Cameroon’s preparations ever since Caf President Ahmad said last August that the country would “have work to convince” African football’s rulers that it was ready.

“The president of Caf, Ahmad, is 100% in support of what is happening here. I’ve been giving him updates and he’s very excited about it,” Pinnick told BBC Sport.

“He has given us a lot of reassurances and nobody is going to take it away from Cameroon.”

“What we have seen so far is really very very impressive, the government has made huge efforts to host the best Afcon ever and we’re very excited about it”

“We are truly from the depth of our soul desirous of Cameroon doing this because we know that it’s going to impact hugely not just Cameroon but the continent of Africa.”

Cameroon will be hosting the first Nations Cup to be held in June and July and one that has expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

Pinnick was talking after Caf’s third inspection of stadia and hotel facilities in the 6 host cities.

“We don’t want people to have any forms of misconceptions,” he continued.

“We are here for very serious business and what I saw in the presentations was amazing because after the end of the tournament, I don’t think there’s any country that will have the facilities Cameroon have.”

“We need to go the extra mile. We’ve come from the World Cup and we’ve seen very high standards.

“We want to see a different nations cup hosted by Cameroon creating a standard that every other African country will look at Cameroon and say that this is the standard that they’ve set, how can we meet up with this standard.”

Source: BBC

14, August 2018

Samuel Eto’o signs with Qatar Sports Club ⁰

VETERAN Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o has signed for Qatar league side, Qatar Sports Club, just days after he ended a brief stay at Turkish side Konyaspor.

The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker will be unveiled on Tuesday, said Qatar Sports Club, the latest big-name edition to Qatar’s domestic league as it gears up to host the 2022 World Cup.

The club said on social media that it would “present the international star Samuel Eto’o” at a press conference.

It is understood he underwent a medical earlier in the day. It will be the 13th professional club for Eto’o, who was reportedly considering the A-League as a destination for his next move.

The four-time African player of the year will join former colleagues in Qatar, including ex-Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez, who plays for Al Sadd, and Wesley Sneijder who was at Inter with Eto’o.

In 2009, Eto’o won the Champions League with Barcelona playing alongside Xavi. A year later he won the same trophy with Inter in the same team as Sneijder. The Dutchman now plays for Al Gharafa in Qatar’s domestic competition, the Qatar Stars League.

The signing is a coup for Qatar Sports Club, who finished in mid-table last season and currently have little hope of winning any domestic titles.

Earlier on Monday Eto’o said Ligue 1 clubs had contacted him after he announced he was leaving Turkey last week.

The 37-year-old is now in the twilight of a fabulous career. He enjoyed five hugely successful seasons with Barcelona from 2004 to 2009, before helping Jose Mourinho’s Inter team to win the treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia titles in his first season in Italy.

He then had brief stints at Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League. Eto’o also scored 56 times for his country in 118 appearances and won two African Cup of Nations with Cameroon.

Source: Foxsports

13, August 2018

Clarence Seedorf: New Cameroon boss signs four-year deal ⁰

The new coach of Cameroon, Clarence Seedorf, has signed a four-year deal to take over as manager of the Indomitable Lions.

Last week, Cameroon’s Football Federation (Fecafoot) confirmed that Seedorf would be assisted by his former international Dutch teammate Patrick Kluivert to take charge of the five-times African champions.

Former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Seedorf replaces Hugo Broos, who led Cameroon to Nations Cup success last year.

“I feel honoured to be given the opportunity to manage this great country,” Seedorf, who follows in the footsteps of compatriot Arie Haan as Cameroon boss, said at the signing ceremony.

“We are ready for work and I hope everyone is ready. Our job starts today.”

Seedorf and Kluivert have been given the task of retaining the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil next year, and also set the target of reaching the 2021 edition of the tournament and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The long-term contract, which runs to 2022, also stipulates that the Dutch duo must live in the country and provide support to the other national teams.

Seedorf, 42, has previously managed AC Milan, Chinese club Shenzhen and Deportivo La Coruna.

He lasted less than six months in all three roles.

Source: BBC

5, August 2018

Eto’o leaves Konyaspor by mutual consent ⁰

Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o has left Turkish club Konyaspor by mutual consent.

The club say the former Chelsea and Everton striker, 37, has had his contract, which still had two years to run, cancelled, “on the basis of a previously agreed negotiation”.

Eto’o joined struggling Konyaspor from rivals Antalyaspor in January, scoring six goals in 14 appearances to help the club maintain its top flight status.

“We thank Samuel Eto’o for his contributions to the club and his services on behalf of our colours, and we hope that he will bring beauty, happiness and success to his future plans after a farewell to each other in warm and sincere feelings.” Konyaspor wrote on their website.

The four-time African footballer of the year winner has been widely linked with a move to the French Ligue 1 as well as a possible return to the Spanish league.

Eto’o, a three-time Champions League winner, moved to Antalyaspor in the summer of 2015 as the keystone of the club’s bid to find national and even European success.

Having previously played in Spain, Russia, England and Italy, Eto’o enjoyed much of his club success at Barcelona, where he played from 2004 to 2009.

His trophies there included three La Liga crowns, alongside former Brazil forward Ronaldinho, and two Champions League titles.

He also won the Champions League, under Jose Mourinho, at Inter Milan in 2010, and has an Olympic gold medal, which he won with Cameroon in 2000.

Eto’o is the leading all-time scorer in the Nations Cup with 18 goals and he appeared at four World Cup finals – 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 – playing in eight matches and scoring three goals.

Cameroon’s all-time leading scorer with 54-goals, he won back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations titles with his country at the 2000 and 2002 editions.

AGENCIES

4, August 2018

Seedorf, Kluivert appointed to guide Cameroon to 2019 AFCON Victory ⁰

Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert will lead Cameroon to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, after the Country’s Sports Ministry, on Saturday, confirmed their appointments.

Seedorf had previously managed Italian side AC Milan, Shenzhen in the Chinese division one and La Liga club Deportivo La Coruna [but relegated to the Segunda División].

The 42-year-old will be assisted by his former national teammate, Patrick Kluivert when Cameroon hosts the rest of Africa in the continent’s biggest football fiesta in June of 2019.

Kluivert has also cut his teeth as a football Manager since hanging his playing boots. The former Barcelona striker was an assistant Coach under Louis Van Gaal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The recruitment of the former Dutch stars, ends a long controversy over the succession of Hugo Broos who led Cameroon to the continental title at the 2017 CAN tournament in Gabon. Alexandre Belinga took charge of the team after Broos’ contract was terminated in February of 2018.

Source:Footballlive.ng

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