Sports

9, June 2016

Samuel Eto’o pays homage to the late President of the Cameroon Professional Footballers Association ⁰

Samuel Eto’o, and many other Cameroonian football legends were among the mammoth crowd that answered present at the Military mortuary in Bonanjo- Douala to pay their last tribute to a prominent personality of the Cameroon football family.

The late David Mayebi, National President of the Cameroon Professional Footballers Association suffered a heart attack on May the 3rd in Bertoua in the East region at a ceremony where he was laying the foundation stone for a municipal stadium in the city. He was rushed to the CNPS hospital in Yaounde where he died at the intensive care unit.

CIR

8, June 2016

Cameroon: Man who could not honor Captain Abega Theophile sends Ali condolence to Obama ⁰

President Biya who was conspicuously absent during the burial ceremony of the late Dr Abega Theophile, the legendary captain of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon has addressed an official telegram to US President Obama from his five star hotel resort in Swiss over the death of Mohammed Ali. Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the Biya document was sent to Washington on Wednesday, June 8, 2016. In the said telegram, Mr Biya wrote:

“Mr. President, I have learned with emotion, the death of Mr Mohammed Ali, former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. I salute the memory of this legend. In these painful circumstances, I extend to you and to the family of Mr. Mohammed Ali my sincere condolences. Please accept Mr. President, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration.” The funeral of the American triple heavyweight world champion will be held in the US on Friday, June 10, 2016.

CIR

8, June 2016

Stephen Keshi is no more!!! ⁰

One of African football’s best-known figures, Stephen Keshi, has died at the age of 54, the Nigeria Football Federation has said. A former captain of the Nigeria national team, Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach. He also managed Togo and Mali, and his playing career included a spell for Belgian club side Anderlecht.

He is thought to have suffered a heart attack, local media reported. As a player, Keshi was part of the Super Eagles team that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and narrowly missed out on a World Cup quarter-final place the same year. He coached the national side over three spells, leading Nigeria to the 2013 Nations Cup title in South Africa and the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His contract was not renewed after the World Cup but he later returned on a match-by-match deal following the team’s failure to reach the 2015 Nations Cup finals. He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan. He was sacked for a final time last July.

BBC

7, June 2016

League 1: UMS maintains lead ⁰

When UMS assumed the leadership position of the league one championship, many thought it was going to be short lived especially as the club is newly promoted and has witnessed a string of dismissal of coaches. However as the championship enters the second and most decisive phase; UMS of Loum has come to prove they mean real business.

After waning on the 18^th day of play when they obtained a draw, UMS bounced back on the chivalric path by obtaining the first ever victory against Cosmos of Mbam. The 3-0 victory enabled the club from Loum to conserve the top seat with 37 points, thus maintaining the three-point gap separating them from their immediate challengers, Yong Sports in the second position.

The status quo is maintained within the top quartet as runners up Yong Sports equally beat Apejes 2-1 on the 19^th day of play to continue turning the heat on the league leaders. Union also maintained their dream intact of lifting the championship title by beating Eding Sport at home in Douala. Coton Sport joined the winning spree by equally outpacing Panthere of Nde 3-1 to maintain to move up one place on the classification table to occupy the 4^th position on the classification table.

Unisport on the contrary lost three positions on the point tally sheet, dropping from; the second to the 5^th position owing to the zero-all-tie against Astres on the 19^thday of play. Teams keep on criss-crossing each other at the middle of the table with teams like Panthere dropping from the 8^th to the 11^th position and Racing dropping from the 7^th to the 8^th position.

The most spectacular rise is however that of Canon Yaounde who moved from the 11^th to the 7^th position thanks to her 3-1 victory over Botafogo over the weekend. There is also Aigle Royal which has moved up from the 12^th to the 10^th position. Dragon also gained two places moving from the 15^th to the 13^th position.

The situation remains unchanged at the bottom of the league table with Lion Blessé, Botafogo and Cosmos still languishing in the relegation zone. The Benjamin of the group, Cosmos continued gliding further towards the precipice after suffering an umpteenth defeat against UMS over the weekend. Lion Blessé remains the first team below the relegation line in the 16^th position after bowing 0-1 to New Stars in the inaugural league one encounter at the Limbe Omnisport stadium. Botafogo also remains stagnant in the 17^th position, sinking further down the drain after the 1-3 defeat to Canon.

Cameroon Tribune

6, June 2016

Former President of the Cameroon Football Federation back in prison ⁰

Disgraced former president of the Cameroon Football Federation FECAFOOT and former General Manager of the Cameroon Cotton Development Company SODECOTTON, Iya Mohammed has returned to his prison cell at Kondengui after spending eleven days at the National Social Insurance Hospital in the nation’s capital Yaounde. Cameroon Intelligence Report learnt Iya was admitted there since May the 24th.

Sources close to the detainee’s family reported that the situation was not serious. Iya Mohammed was arrested in 2013 on charges of embezzlement in SODECOTON. He was tried by the Special Criminal Court in September 2015 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Iya was found guilty of diversion and coercion of over 10 billion CFA francs in the period 2005 – 2010. He secretly funded Coton Sport of Garoua with money from SODECOTON.

6, June 2016

Gabon 2017: The big names have their tickets ⁰

Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco and Cameroon have so far clinched their qualification spots for the final phase of the tournament in Gabon. Six of the sixteen teams to take part in the final phase of the African Cup of Nations to take place early next year in Gabon are already known. They are namely, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and host country Gabon. While Gabon got her qualification from the office by winning the bid to host the 2017 edition of the tournament, the others had to slot it out from the green turf of the pitch after taking an unassailable lead in their respective groups.

Egypt and Morocco were the first countries to qualify and will be making a return to the continental scene after having missed out on the 2015 edition of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea. Egypt simply didn’t qualify after having been stunned by little known Republic of Congo in the last and crucial qualification match. Meanwhile Morocco was banned from taking part in the competition after refusing to host the competition because of Ebola scare.

The sentence was higher but Morocco appealed the decision and the ban was lifted. After winning the legal battle Morocco also won on the pitch of play dominating Group F earning 12 points in four outings. Egypt equally sailed through Group G virtually unperturbed with 10 points in four outing with Nigeria coming distant second in the group with barely two points.

Algeria and Senegal also picked up their qualification tickets before the last day of play of the qualifiers top come up during the weekend running from September second to third. Algeria sailed through Group G with flying colours obtaining 13 points in five outings and can no longer be caught up by the runners up of the group, Ethiopia with barely five points.

Meanwhile Senegal witnessed an unbeaten run in Group K winning all fifteen points up for grab in the group so far and will also be making a return to the continental scene in Gabon. Cameroon as already known picked up the lone qualification ticket in Group M after butting out the last surviving contender, Mauritania in the fifth qualification match on Friday June 3^rd.

The rest of the qualified nations will be known after the last day of play of the qualifiers on September second and third. Besides the respective group leaders, the overall best runners-up of all the 13 groups join the host for the final phase of the competition in Gabon.

Cameroon Tribune

5, June 2016

League 1: New Stars triumph over Lion Blesse, Yong Sport in Champions League position ⁰

League 1: Results after the 19 day of play

Limbé: New stars – Lion blessé 1 – 0

Douala: Union – Eding 2 – 0

Bafoussam: Racing – Dragon 0 – 1

Mfou: Apejes – Yong sport 1 – 2

Mfou: Cosmos – Ums 0 – 3

Mbankomo: Canon – Botafogo 3 – 1

Garoua: Coton sport – Panthère 3 – 1

Mbouda: Bamboutos – Aigle 0 – 1

Bafang: Unisport – Astres 0 – 0

League I table

1 – Ums 37 points

2 – Yong sport 34 points

3 – Union 33 points

4 – Coton 32 points

5 – Unisport 32 points

6 – New stars 30 points

7 – Racing 25 points

8 – Astres 25 points

9 – Aigle 25 points

10 – Panthère 24 points

11 – Canon 23 points

12 – Eding 23 points

13 – Bamboutos 21 points

5, June 2016

Diego Simeone en route to Paris Saint-Germain ⁰

After the management clearly called into question the continuity of Laurent Blanc at the head of Paris Saint -Germain , the owners are now seeking his replacement . Reports from France say they have held talks with the representatives of Diego Simeone. But it will not be easy!!!! The Atlético Madrid technician has two champions league final lost in three years but his playing style pleases many around the beautiful game.

5, June 2016

New FIFA President in fresh scandal ⁰

The World Football governing body FIFA has remained steeped in controversy for the better part of the past three years. Its former President Sepp Blatter was forced out amid various allegations of corruption and several top FIFA officials have since been indicted of offences ranging from receiving bribes to embezzlement.

The newly elected FIFA President Gianni Infantino is now embroiled in a fresh scandal, barely six months into his reign at FIFA. Infantino is accused of destroying recordings of a Fifa council meeting in Mexico and reports in some quarters indicate that FIFA is considering a 90 day suspension.

A FIFA spokesman however denied that FIFA has begun investigative proceedings against Infantino; “We are not in a position to indicate if we have or have not begun preliminary investigatory proceedings against an individual. We would however like to point out that there are no formal proceedings going on against Mr Infantino.”

FIFA’s current scandal revolve around reports that Infantino had planed to fire Domenico Scala, the head of audit in FIFA. The congress in Mexico city for which recording was destroyed was allegedly passed a resolution to allow the FIFA council to fire members of the Independent watchdog.

In simple terms, the FIFA council headed by Infantino was given the power to fire Scala and all the other members of the FIFA Independent watchdog.

Bode Dolu’s Blog

4, June 2016

Muhammad Ali passes on at 74 ⁰

Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74, a family spokesman has said. The former world heavyweight boxing champion, one of the world’s best-known sportsmen, died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on Thursday.

He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease. The funeral will take place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement.

BBC