The world’s greatest footballer, Diego Maradona has not remained insensitive to the sudden disappearance of the former Indomitable Lion, Benjamin Massing who died on Sunday at the age of 55 in his home in Edea, not far from the Douala metropolis.

In a tribute far beyond the borders of Cameroon, Diego Armando Maradona who played against Massing in the opening game of the FIFA 1990 World Cup in Milan, Italy said he and Massing were rivals in Italia 90.

“I want to remember the late Benjamin Massing. We were rivals at the beginning of Italy 90. Behind every football player, there is a man and a family. My respects for them” wrote the Argentinean on his Facebook page.

Football fans will remember the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in 1990 between Argentina, the reigning world champion and Cameroon in which the late Massing had a memorable performance against Diego Maradona, considered at the time as the best player in the world.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from CIN

Alex Song is ready to leave Rubin Kazan because the Russian club’s players have not been paid for four months, Sky Sports News understands.

Sky Sports News understands the former Arsenal, Barcelona and West Ham midfielder is wanted by clubs in England and Europe.

Song, capped 49 times by Cameroon, joined Rubin as a free agent in August last year after his contract at Barcelona expired. The 30-year-old has scored once in 22 appearances for the Russian Premier League club.

Song has previously played for Bastia, Arsenal, Barcelona, West Ham and Charlton

Rubin have so far endured a poor 2017/18 campaign and currently sit 12th in the table having won only five matches.

Song started his career at French side Bastia before moving on loan to Arsenal in 2005.

He made the move permanent a year later and went on to make 215 appearances during his seven-year stay with the Gunners.

Song joined Barcelona in 2012 and helped the club win the La Liga title during his first season with the club.

He returned to England in 2014 by joining West Ham and spent the next two seasons on loan with the east London side, helping them achieve their highest Premier League points tally – 62- during the 2015/16 campaign.

Source: Sky Sports News

The RLEF board has awarded observer status to Cameroon Rugby League XIII, an association based in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital city.  “Rugby league will give Cameroonian youth strong human and social values; solidarity, courage and citizenship,” said CRLXIII chairman Samuel Tayou. “Physically, rugby league is well suited to Africans and the game is just spectacular.”

Tayou heads a seven-strong executive committee which was elected by its 26 Directors in 2017, in line with the French system. However, the Cameroon story is now in its sixth year and currently involves eight member clubs: Yaoundé-based Dragons RL, Bulls RL, Raiders RL, Petou Institut RL and Panthers RL; plus Nyété Bulls, Babadjou RL and Kumba RL. Another five clubs are in the process of being formed.

“Everything started in 2012 with (former Kangaroo international) Michael Hancock in Brisbane, who embraced my idea to set up rugby league in Cameroon,” explains Carol Manga, CRLXIII’s general and development manager, who worked in the medical profession in Australia. “Back then I just wanted to give something back to the youth that they could enjoy at home.

“I brought a bit of Cameroon to Australia and now I’ve taken a part of Australia back with me! I would like to thank everyone involved, especially the Australian and Cameroonian governments and rugby league officials Tas Baitieri, Brad Fittler and Remond Safi who supported this idea. Now it’s representing hope to many young people in Cameroon, a way to teach and educate through rugby league.”

The CRLXIII’s current two-year development plan concentrates on four objectives: obtaining government recognition, a target being supported by the French rugby league federation, which is already in correspondence with the Cameroonian sports ministry; the creation of four geographical groups to administer the sport regionally; establishing competition, youth, technical education and development commissions, which will be charged with growing the sport at grassroots level; and entering the Emerging Nations World Cup in Sydney in 2018.

Cameroon is the latest African country to be accepted by the RLEF following Ghana in 2014 and joining Burundi, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. RLEF Middle East Africa director Remond Safi is also reviewing an application from two other African countries, and is in contact with others interested in developing the sport there. He is also drawing up plans to take each country from observer to affiliate member status.

“Africa is an important region for the sport,” said Safi. “It has 1.2 billion people and the African Union recognises 54 countries. Rugby league’s universality will be strengthened through African development and we have the opportunity to partner with many more governments which should eventually lead to IOC and GAISF full member recognition.”

Source: Total Rugby League

The English Football Association has announced a comprehensive study to find out how the sport may cause brain damage in players.

The association announced on Thursday that a research is to be launched into the possible link between heading a football and brain damage.

The research, which will study the incidence of degenerative neurocognitive disease in approximately 15,000 former players, will start in January.

The launch of the study to unveil the potential risk of brain damage among football players followed a BBC documentary presented by former England captain Alan Shearer this month that  highlighted the case of former English footballer Jeff Astle, who died aged 59 in 2002.

An inquest found that heading a heavy leather football repeatedly during his career was a key factor in causing brain damage in the player..

“In the past decade there have been growing concerns around perceived increased risk of dementia through participation in contact sports. However, research data to support and quantify this risk have been lacking,” said Dr William Stewart.

Stewart provided medical evidence in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Astle’s death, and is the lead expert in the study entitled Football’s Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk (FIELD).

“Through the FIELD study we hope to be able to provide some understanding of the long-term health impact of football,” he said.

Stewart and his team will be conducting the research from the University of Glasgow and the Hampden Sports Clinic.

“Dementia can have a devastating effect and, as the governing body of English football, we felt compelled to commission a significant new study in order to fully understand if there are any potential risks associated with playing the game,” it added.

Source: Presstv

Tearful goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon ended his 20-year Italy career in the saddest possible way on Monday, November 13, with their first failure to qualify for the World Cup in 60 years.

The 39-year-old Buffon said after Monday’s goalless playoff draw against Sweden, which ended Italy’s hopes of going to Russia, would be the last of his 175 appearances.

Buffon made his full international debut in 1997 against Russia the last time Italy took part in a playoff to qualify for the World Cup. Then, they scraped through 2-1 on aggregate.

In 2006, he helped Italy win the World Cup in Germany, beating France in the final in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.

The 2010 and 2014 World Cups were less successful, Italy being eliminated in the group stages of the finals in South Africa and Brazil respectively, but Buffon remained with the team hoping for one last World Cup in Russia but it was not to be.

Source: Presstv

Zambia will take on Cameroon in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification CAF Group B match at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on Saturday.

Chipolopolo succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in Uyo last month, and their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time came to an end.

Zambia, who placed second in group B having collected seven points from five games, find themselves above much-fancied Cameroon and Algeria.

Promising youngsters Patson Daka and Enock Mwepu will be looking to impress for Wedson Nyirenda’s side, who will finish second if they secure a draw or win against Cameroon.

However, Zambia will be without Kondwani Mtonga. The defender has been sidelined as he is nursing an injury. “He is not available for now due to the injury. He needs to heal,” Zambia team manager Chris Chibuye said.

“We called 28 players and we need 23 for the game, so we have enough back up. “He came to be examined by the national team doctors and they have OK’d the treatment that he is receiving from the club.”

Meanwhile, Cameroon have endured a disappointing qualifying campaign which saw them fail to book their place in the finals. The Indomitable Lions overcame Algeria 2-0 at home in their previous qualifier, which sees them placed third on the group B standings with six points from five games.

Cameroon, who have participated in seven World Cup finals, will finish second in the group if they beat Zambia.

Source: This Day

Cameroon have launched their PUMA home kit, with the current squad teaming up with famous musician MHD and national team legend Roger Milla for the viral unveiling.

Milla became a global cult hero when he danced his way into the hearts of people all over the planet with iconic goal celebrations at the 1990 World Cup – a tournament that saw Cameroon become the first African team to reach the quarter finals.

The veteran forward had already played the 1982 World Cup, and had earlier retired from international football in the late 1980s. He later returned to play in 1994 at the age of 42, still a tournament record for the oldest outfield player.

Cameroon and PUMA have been no strangers to striking kits – cast your mind back to the sleeve-less shirt or the all-in-one jersey – and the latest is no different.

The shirt, in typical green and with a darker shade of sleeves, features a bold roaring lion graphic, bringing alive the spirit of the Indomitable Lions.

Cameroon will play five Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to play against Comoros, Malawi and Morocco in 2018, despite having already qualified for the tournament as hosts.

Having won the 2017 edition, the Indomitable Lions will be looking to retain the trophy on home soil in 2019 and win back-to-back titles just as they did in 2000 and 2002.

Source: Sports Ilustrated