17, June 2016

French court sentenced African Football legend Claude Le Roy to 2 years in prison ¹

In what has been described as a major blow to the Togolese national football team on their way to qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nation, Gabon 2017, a French court has sentenced Claude Le Roy to two years in prison including an 18 months ban from all football activities this Friday June 17, 2016. Cameroon Intelligence Report learned that Le Roy was jailed following his involvement in some fraudulent transfer deals when he managed Racing Club of Strasbourg between 1998 and 2003.

The former Cameroon and Congo Kinshasa football trainer has been quoted as saying he was not aware of any illegality on the said transfers. Our senior football correspondent who contributed to this report observed that if the sentence by the court is confirmed, it could upset the contract Claude Le Roy has with the Togolese national team. CIR sports desk is keeping a watchful eye on this developing story and we will keep our readers posted.

Ebong Kingsley (CIR)

14, June 2016

Alex Song close to Galatasaray deal ⁰

Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, who has spent the last two seasons on loan with West Ham, is close to sealing a move to Galatasaray. According to ‘fotospor’, Song has reached an agreement with the Turkish club, but now must wait for them to agree a deal with Barça as the he remains under contract at Camp Nou until 2017.

The 27-year-old’s agent Darren Dein and Galatasaray’s sporting director Cenk Ergun have reportedly agreed on a three-year deal worth 1.5 million euros per season. Now Galatasaray must contract Barça if they wish to push the transfer through, although the Catalan club may be prepared to let Song leave for free.

He played 16 games for West Ham this season and a return to the Premier League side for a third season has been ruled out.

14, June 2016

Fru Ndi meets General Pierre Semengue during a football encounter in Bamenda ⁰

General Pierre Semengue of the Cameroon army was seen hand-in-gloves with Ni John Fru Ndi, the charismatic leader of the largest opposition party recently during a football encounter in Bamenda. The match between Yong Sports Academy and Astres of Douala was a top game of the 21st day of the National League 1 football championship.

The sitting positions of the two men caused some sensation from the crowd and General Semengue reportedly observed that: “I do not understand why people are surprised. I know Mr. President (John Fru Ndi,) for a long time now. We know each other well. So I have no problem being in his company. He is still the leader of a major political party, and I am in Bamenda for football. Football knows no political party”. Semengue kept Fru Ndi under house arrest during the ghost town operations in the 90s.

Rita Akana

13, June 2016

Another emblematic figure of Cameroon football dies in a Yaounde hospital ⁰

Some 24 hours after the burial of David Mayebi, another emblematic figure of the Cameroon football family has passed on!! Antoine Essomba Eyenga former President of Tonnerre Kalara club of Yaounde died today at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. It was an open secret that the director of the Cameroon Football Federation had been sick for several months.

Cameroon-info.net

12, June 2016

Eric Mbu Ayuk scores as the Indomitable Lions humiliate Zimbabwe ⁰

The match counting for the second day of qualification for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia 2017, was played in the new Olympic stadium in Bafoussam. The Indomitable Lions took the lead against Zimbabwe at the 20th minute of play through Eric Mbu Ayuk who plays his professional football in the USA.

The second goal was scored by Victor Mpindi Ekani of AS Fortuna Mfou. The lions scored the third in the second half. The Indomitable Lions had played a goalless draw in the first leg in Harare. The Lions next stop will be Libya.

CIR

11, June 2016

Ali buried in home city of Louisville ⁰

Rousing tributes have been paid to boxing legend Muhammad Ali at a memorial service in his home city of Louisville, Kentucky. Muslim, Christian, Jewish and other speakers spoke of his fight for civil rights, while a message from President Barack Obama praised his originality.

The interfaith event took place hours after thousands said farewell as his coffin passed through city streets. Ali was buried in a private ceremony attended by friends and family.

BBC

10, June 2016

Euro 2016: Three Cameroonians to defend France and Switzerland ⁰

The largest European male football competition begins today the 10th of June, 2016 in France. To be sure, it is the world’s second most important football competition among nations after the FIFA World Cup due to the quality of the teams involved. Cameroon will be well represented in the 15th edition of the EURO as three footballers born in Cameroon will take part in the competition.

Cameroon-info.net reported that Breel Donald Embolo, who plays his professional football with FC Basel, will be defending the national colors of Switzerland. Europe’s most athletic defender, François Moubandje, of FC Toulouse in France will also be a part of the Swiss national team and Samuel Umtiti, a defender with Lyon in France, will defend the colors of his adopted country.

Breel-Embolo Donald is 19 years old, was born February 14, 1997 in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital. He migrated to Switzerland at the age of 6. He prefers to play with Switzerland at the expense of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

Jacques François Moubandje was born June 21, 1990 in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital. He moved to Switzerland at the age of 8.

Samuel Umtiti was born on 14 November 1993 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He landed in France in 1995 at the age of 2 years.

Cameroon-info.net

10, June 2016

Football under tight security: Euro 2016 kicks off today ⁰

The 2016 edition of the European nation’s cup, Euro 2016 will begin today with the opening encounter between host France and Romania. For the first time in history, 24 teams will be taking part in the final round of the competition with some 51 matches scheduled to take place in ten different locations across France including new stadiums in Bordeaux, Nice, Lille and Lyon.

The tournament will be taking place under tight security as over 90.000 police, soldiers and private security officers have been mobilized for the event. Despite the security concerns, over 90 per cent of the tickets have been bought already with about 80.000 still up for grab.

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each and the groups winners and runners up sail through to the knock out stage which begins from the round of 16. All 24 teams are now in France after playing warm up matches in the billed up to the event.

The fixtures for the weekend will comprise France versus Romania today, followed by Albania versus Switzerland on Saturday. On that same Saturday, there will also be Wales versus Slovakia and England versus Russia. The final of the tournament will be on July 10 still at the Stade de France which was the target during the recent terrorist attack in Paris.

Cameroon Tribune

9, June 2016

Honoring Stephen Keshi: CAF President expresses “immense sadness” ⁰

Issa Hayatou, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a message of condolence to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation following the sudden death of the Great Stephen Keshi. Issa Hayatou expressed his “dismay” and his “immense sadness” to the Nigerian football family.

In the correspondence, the CAF President revisited the rich career of the deceased saying Keshi remains the first African coach to have qualified two African teams in a World Cup final: Togo in 2006 and Nigeria in 2014. He won the Africa Nations Cup with Nigeria both as a player and a coach in 1994 and 2013 respectively. Stephen Keshi is also the only African technician to have taken a selection from the continent to the second round of a World Cup tournament. He did that in 2014 in Brazil with Nigeria.

Rest in peace the BOSS

9, June 2016

Cameroon selects 25 hotels for the female Africa Cup of Nations 2016 ⁰

25 hotels have been selected by Cameroon for hosting of the various delegations and official CAF accredited journalists during the female Africa Cup of Nations 2016 to be held in Yaoundé and Limbe from the 19^th of November to the 03^rd of December. The 25 hotels are listed in Yaounde, Douala and Limbe. The 8 countries that qualified for the competition are:

Cameroon

Equatorial Guinea

Egypt

Kenya

South Africa

Ghana

Zimbabwe

Nigeria

The CPDM government says it has provided financial support to some private hotel developers to enable them run a 24 hours service.

CIR