Sports

16, June 2017

Kana Biyik says corrupt behaviour has become endemic in Cameroon’s football culture ⁰

Jean Armel Kana-Biyik has said that in Africa, footballers need to give bribes to play for their respective national teams. He was reacting to his non-participation with the Lions of Cameroon in the FIFA 2014 World Cup that was held in Brazil.

Guest on a television show Le Vestiaire on Tuesday on the SFR chain, the Cameroonian defender made disturbing revelations about the process of selection of players deep within the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

“I have always said, I will never be afraid to say it: we charge footballers for places within the national selection, not only in my country, but in Africa. And when I talk about bribes, I know that at the last moment my place was sold to another footballer … two weeks before the world …, “said the Kayserispor player in Turkey.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net

15, June 2017

African champions Cameroon arrive in Moscow ⁰

African champions Cameroon touched down in Moscow yesterday afternoon ahead of their third appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

The Indomitable Lions will open their campaign against Chile in the Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital on Sunday before facing Australia in Saint Petersburg on 22 June and current world champions Germany in Sochi on 25 June.

Cameroon’s best FIFA Confederations Cup achievement to date was reaching the final of the 2003 edition.

Source: FIFA

14, June 2017

Southern Cameroonian sent off as Colombia beats Cameroon 4-0 in friendly ⁰

Defender Yerry Mina scored twice to lead Colombia to a 4-0 win over 10-man Cameroon in an international friendly in Madrid on Tuesday. The loss for Cameroon comes five days before it plays its first match of the Confederations Cup in Moscow against Chile.

James Rodriguez, who is likely leaving Spanish champion Real Madrid this summer, scored Colombia’s opener at Alfonso Perez Coliseum. Rodriguez then set up Mina’s first goal by sending over a corner kick for the Palmeiras defender to head home near the half-hour mark.

Cameroon was reduced to 10 men when a Southern Cameroonian, Robert Tambe was sent off early in the second half, before Mina struck with a second header, this time from a corner taken by Giovanni Moreno. Jose Izquierdo finished off the victory with a late goal.

This was Colombia’s second friendly in Spain in a week. It drew 2-2 with Spain’s national side last Wednesday in Murcia. Colombia next faces World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on Aug. 31 and Brazil on Sept. 5.

Culled from The State

13, June 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo charged with tax fraud ⁰

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Tuesday accused of evading 14.7 million euros in tax through offshore companies, the latest footballer to fall foul of fiscal authorities in Spain.

The 32-year-old — the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes magazine — follows in the steps of FC Barcelona forward and Argentina star Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year although the sums involved were allegedly smaller.

The issue of tax evasion has caused anger in a country only just emerging from a damaging economic crisis that has seen countless people lose their jobs and inequalities rise.

Ronaldo is accused of “four crimes against the public treasury between 2011-14 … which involves tax fraud of 14,768,897 euros ($16.5m, £12.9m)”, prosecutors said in a statement.

“The accused took advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities, which is a ‘voluntary’ and ‘conscious’ breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain,” they said.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League final football match between Juventus and Real Madrid at The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales, on June 3, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Prosecutors accuse the Portugal international of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for its low corporate tax rate.

In addition, they say he only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to 43 million euros.

And finally, they accuse him of “voluntarily” refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income linked to the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

(Source: AFP)

11, June 2017

French Cameroun Football: Aboubakar wins with early goal against Morocco ⁰

The Indomitable Lions recorded a successful start in their campaign for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nation to be hosted in Cameroon. The lads dominated a solid Moroccan side on Saturday at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé but scored just a goal.

The only goal of the game was scored by striker Vincent Aboubakar, in the 28th minute of play, wonderfully served after a destabilization of the Moroccan defense. Throughout the game, the Cameroonians showed a physical freshness already demonstrated at the last African cup of Nation 2017 in Gabon.

However, some bad news tarnished the victory. Defender Oyongo Bitolo was seriously injured and he left the match at the 17th minute. Cameroon Concord News sources say he will be unavailable for 7 months.

By Sonne Peter

Cameroon Concord News

6, June 2017

Issa Hayatou, Enow Ngatchu installed ⁰

The Cameroon National Football Academy, ANAFOOT will soon take off in earnest following the installation of the pioneer executive management board. Issa Hayatou, Carl Enow Ngatchu and Jules Mejime were installed into as the Board chair, Director General and Deputy Director General respectively.

The installation ritual was performed by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Bidoung Mpkatt at the Yaoundé Multi-purpose Sports Complex. Extending warm handshakes to the three man team, the Minister advised them to immediately get to work.

They are expected to put begin the management of an academy that was created by the Head of State in 2010 to promote and professionalize football.

Source: CRTV

4, June 2017

Italy: 1,000 Juventus fans wounded in stampede over bomb scare ⁰

Some 1,000 Juventus soccer fans watching the European Champions League final in the Italian city of Turin have been injured in a stampede triggered by a bomb scare.

Witnesses said a firecracker explosion caused a panic movement at a Champions League fan zone in one of Turin’s main squares, where some 20,000 Juventus enthusiasts had gathered Saturday to watch their team face Spanish club Real Madrid on giant TV screens.

During the second half of the match, which Juventus lost 1-4, people mistook firecrackers for a terrorist bombing or gunshots, according to the witnesses.

Juventus’ supporters carry an injured woman in Piazza San Carlo after a panic movement in the fanzone in Turin, Italy, June 3, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Many panic-stricken fans then started screaming and trying to run out of the place when some people shouted that a bomb had exploded, triggering a large stampede.

Video cameras showed a sudden rush in the middle of the crowd flung against barriers at Piazza San Carlo Square.

About seven people were seriously hurt, including a 7-year-old boy who had been trampled.

Juventus’ supporters evacuate Piazza San Carlo after a panic movement in the fan zone where thousands were watching the UEFA Champions League Final football on June 3, 2017 in Turin. (Photo by AFP)

“At that moment, I saw the entire piazza went in the direction next to the screen to escape, all in a panic,” said Brian Hendrie, an Associated Press reporter. “They ran, fell on the ground on the glass.”

Afterwards shoes and bags littered the ground, while people were seen limping and searching desperately for friends and relatives, according to a witness.

Juventus’ supporters look for personal belongings at Piazza San Carlo after a panic movement during the UEFA Champions League Final football match on June 3, 2017 in Turin. (Photo by Reuters)

Police are now investigating the cause of the mayhem.

“The root cause of this was panic, to understand what triggered it we will have to wait a while,” said Renato Saccone, the prefect of Turin.

Juve head coach Massimiliano Allegri said following the match, “I would just like to say that we feel for what happened to our fans in Turin. There was an incident there; we hope that not too many people were injured.”

In recent years, a string of terror attacks, including bombings, shootings and stabbings, have hit multiple European cities, striking fear into the hearts of the nations in the continent.

Just as the European Champions League final was taking place, terrorists struck at the heart of London, killing six people in a series of vehicle and knife attacks.

Source: Presstv

29, May 2017

Yaounde: Soldiers attack sports journalist ⁰

The general manager of Afrik 2 Radio, Polycarpe Essomba has announced that he will sue the Biya regime following a violent act perpetrated against one of his collaborators, Bertrand Mvondo. According to the management of the Yaounde based radio station, Bertrand Mvondo, a sports columnist “was the object of a wild aggression on the afternoon of May 26, 2017.

The journalist was attacked by dozen of soldiers as he was covering a Division 2 football encounter at the Yaoundé Military Stadium. Cameroon Concord News learnt that he took pictures when an altercation involving a civilian, a club president and a soldier broke out and was spotted by another soldier who summoned and ordered him to destroy the said images.

The reporter objected to these injunctions which eventually prompted the soldier to call on his colleagues in reinforcement. Bertrand Mvondo was seriously beaten and forcefully dragged to the ground and taken to a nearby army camp with life threatening injuries. We of this publication aggressively condemn the aggression and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Afrik 2 Radio and its collaborator.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon Concord News

26, May 2017

Yaounde: Issa Hayatou takes first golf trip since becoming Chairman of ANAFOOT ⁰

The new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Football Academy was received on May 26, 2017 at the Cameroonian Golf Federation. With age telling on him, Issa Hayatou had a radiant face. Dressed in a blue boubou accompanied by a samara slipper, the new chairman of the board of the National Football Academy (ANAFOOT), arrived at the headquarters of the Cameroonian Golf Federation around 11:30 in a posh car and was welcomed by Yves Martin Assiga Ahanda, the boss of the Cameroon Golf Federation.

After a brief head-to-head meeting with his host, the former president of the Confederation of African Football was given a guided tour of the FECAGolf headquarters. A gesture appreciated by Issa Hayatou who did not fail to highlight it. “I am pleasantly surprised to see the seat of this federation. I was far from imagining that there are so many efforts around golf. This is an opportunity for me to congratulate the leaders of this sport something enviable not only in Cameroon but in the African continent, “said Issa Hayatou.

For his part, the president of the Cameroon Golf Federation said that “President Hayatou is one of the greatest African leaders of all time. He has just been honored by the President of the Republic who appointed him as ANAFOOT’s Board Chairman. It is therefore an honour to our federation to host such a great leader. It’s a way for us to look for experience, not just for football, but for sport in general.”

By Fru James with cables from CIN

26, May 2017

Biya’s appointment of Issa Hayatou: How to spot the lies ⁰

The appointment of Issa Hayayou and Carl Enow Ngachu recently by the 84 year old dictator Paul Biya has generated a lot of under-the-table talk in Yaoundé To be sure. Cameroon Intelligence Report can reveal that the National Football Academy (ANAFOOT) is a ghost school.

Issa Hayatou, aged 71, is a former accomplished athlete who moonlighted during his career in at least three disciplines. Reconverted in his leadership, the Prince of Garoua in the North region for more than 35 years headed the Cameroon Football Federation, Fécafoot, the African Football Confederation, Caf, the World Football governing body, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee. He has done a remarkable job for the development of football in Africa recognized and hailed all over the world. Paul Biya has indeed appointed a worthy Cameroonian Ambassador who will be chairing the ANAFOOT (National Football Academy) Board of Directors. News of the appointment came out on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Issa Hayatou was resurrected after a humiliating defeat in the last presidential election at CAF.

Correspondingly, Carl Enow Ngachu was also appointed by the President of the Republic as Director General of ANAFOOT. Carl Enow, 42, is also a former footballer and a former champion of Cameroon football, now given the onerous task of training young footballers. At the head of the technical crew of the indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, he led the girls and wrote the best pages of Cameron’s female football history.

Given the profiles of the chosen one and the special one, we of CIR are tempted to say that for once, Paul Biya made the right decision. But the correctness of the presidential acts can not overshadow the fact that these new officials have been appointed to head an empty shell. Biya and his gang thrive on lies and deceit. The National Football Academy does not have a physical existence anywhere in Cameroon. The site for the construction of ANAFOOT has not even been identified yet by the Yaoundé urban council mindful of the fact that it is exactly seven years today that Paul Biya, in a speech on the eve of the so-called Youth Day celebrated every 11^th of February that he promised his young compatriots, a college specializing in training in the football profession.

The history of ANAFOOT dates back to the aftermath of a final phase of the Africa Cup of Nations, Angola 2010 where after a mediocre performance by the indomitable Lions, made up of an aging workforce, Paul Biya, in his traditional speech to the youth on February 10, 2010, announced the creation of a football academy in order to prepare the next generation and perpetuate the hegemony of the indomitable Lions. This high school of football training, in liaison with the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, the Ministry of Youth, and Fécafoot, is responsible for supervising and perfecting young people wanting to develop a career in football.

After having signed a first decree establishing ANAFOOT on 25 June 2014, and then on 28 April 2016 another decree on the organization and functioning of ANAFOOT, the two other decrees published yesterday, can be considered as a major step forward In the construction of this higher school. But, everything suggests that we could still wait for a long time to see this Academy actually functioning. Yet the reasons for its creation are still valid, and the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Source: Cameroon Intelligence Report