Sports

21, August 2022

Eto’o tips African country for 2022 FIFA World Cup glory ⁰

Cameroon legend, Samuel Eto’o, believes that an African country can win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to take place between November 20 and December 18 this year.

No African country has ever gone past the quarter-finals of the quadrennial Mundial. Only three; Cameroon at Italia ’90, Senegal at Korea-Japan 2002 and Ghana at South Africa 2010 editions, have reached the stage.

However, Eto’o who happens to be the Qatar Legacy ambassador while in Ghana opined that this could be the year for Africa to not only surpass her quarter-final record but possibly win the FIFA World Cup title.

“First of all I feel at home and I don’t need a reason to be back home,” Footballghana.com quoted Eto’o as saying.

“However I came with our brothers from Qatar for our national teams to get the best possible information so that they give us the best results, and why not? Win the World Cup for us,” Eto’o said.

Eto’o also took to his Twitter and Instagram platforms on Saturday to further tout his belief in the ability of African teams at Qatar 2022.

“Great to be here in Ghana speaking about the limitless potential of African football. This World Cup will be our World Cup. Who agrees?,” his Twitter and Instagram posts read.

Eto’o represented Cameroon at four FIFA World Cups; 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014.

The five teams representing Africa at the 2022 FIFA World Cup are Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

Source: Agency Report

21, August 2022

2022 FIFA World Cup: Cameroon vs Brazil match among the most requested tickets ⁰

Cameroon’s group G game against Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup is one of the highly patronized matches.

Tickets for the game between the five times African champions and the five times world champions has seen massive patronage. The two sides clash on December 2, 2022 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Other games that have had also attracted huge interests are the Uruguay-Portugal, Brazil-Serbia, Costa Rica-Germany and Australia-Denmark matches.

FIFA reports that 2.45 million tickets have already been sold, with Mexico, Argentina and Brazil among the countries with the most number of tickets bought, in addition to Qatar, the United States, England, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France and Germany.

Meanwhile, in the last sales period which was from July 5 to August 16, there was a total of 520,532 tickets sold, which were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and most of these correspond to group stage matches, where residents in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, England, Argentina, Brazil, Wales and Australia they took the first places of requests and purchases.

The date of the next phase of ticket sales, which will last until the end of the tournament, will be announced at the end of September.

Source: Ghana Soccernet

19, August 2022

Football: PSG coach denies bad blood between Neymar and Mbappe ⁰

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier said on Friday there is no bad blood between star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Neymar insisted on taking the team’s second penalty against Montpellier last Saturday after Mbappe had missed the first.

Mbappe did not celebrate after Neymar converted the spot-kick.

Galtier called the apparent differences between the two an “epiphenomenon”, suggesting the spat was not a symptom of any deeper problem.

“We saw each other quickly the next day to iron out all that, to say what we had to say to each other,” said Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 visit to Lille.

“We had a very pleasant week at work. Everyone worked well. I enjoyed all the sessions this week and this epiphenomenon disappeared very quickly, that is to say the day after our meeting.”

Galtier said after the game that instructions “had been respected” regarding penalty takers.

“There was a precise order in this game, Kylian as number one and ‘Ney’ as number two.”

Other potential penalty takers include Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, said Galtier, adding that it was “important for our strikers to score goals, to keep the confidence”.

Against Montpellier, in his first competitive game since opting to stay in Paris rather than join Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Mbappe scored in a 5-2 win but cut a frustrated, unhappy and even isolated figure.

Last season, Mbappe was PSG’s outstanding performer, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, while Neymar struggled.

Yet the 30-year-old Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated this season, scoring five goals in three games.

Source: AFP

15, August 2022

Commonwealth Games: Competitors and delegates from Cameroon have been reported missing ⁰

A total of 17 people connected to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been reported missing since the event got underway, police have confirmed.

The Games, which have been widely viewed as a resounding success, got underway on July 28. But the enthralling fortnight has been tainted by 13 athletes, and four others who were part of the individual teams, being reported to authorities as missing people.

Police are currently working with immigration officials to ensure the welfare and safety of those who have been located. A force spokesperson said: “We’ve received a total of 17 missing people reports from visiting Commonwealth Games delegations – 13 competitors and four other delegation members.

Competitors and delegates from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Cameroon, Ghana and Botswana have been reported missing since the 2022 Games got underway in Birmingham.

Previously, Sri Lankan team spokesperson Gobinath Sivarajah revealed that some of the missing competitors were also members of the country’s armed forces. They included a male judo manager, a female judo athlete, two male wrestlers, three boxers, two male beach volleyball players and a female wrestler.

Source: The Mirror

13, August 2022

End of a football era: Lionel Messi absent from list of Ballon d’Or nominees for 2022 ⁰

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi paid a high price for an underwhelming first season with Paris Saint-Germain when he was left off the 30-strong list for this year’s coveted football award.

Lucy Bronze, who was runner-up in 2019, is one of three members of England’s Euro-winning squad to be short-listed for the women’s award.

Messi, who won the title last year, had been an ever-present amongst the nominations since 2006 and a regular feature in the top three since 2007 with the exception of 2018.

But Messi, 35, has missed out on the 2022 award following his switch from Barcelona to the French capital.

A change in the format has also worked against the Argentine superstar with the Ballon d’Or no longer acknowledging the best player over a calendar year.

Instead, it is based on a season’s record highlighting “the individual performances” and the “decisive and impressive character” of the nominees, according to the criteria.

After leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2021, Messi was unable to stamp his genius on a PSG team desperate for a Champions League title.

The French champions suffered a last-16 exit at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid.

In total, Messi scored only 11 goals for PSG with his relatively indifferent club form failing to impress France Football magazine, the organisers of the Ballon d’Or which will be awarded in Paris on October 17.

PSG teammate Neymar also misses out after a season where he scored 13 goals in 28 matches.

The remainder of the list of nominees throws up few surprises.

French international striker Karim Benzema is the overwhelming favourite after being the architect of Real Madrid’s 14th Champions League title.

He finished the European campaign with 15 goals.

Benzema is likely to become the fifth French winner after Raymond Kopa (1958), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), Jean-Pierre Papin (1991) and Zinedine Zidane (1998).

In the 2021/2022 season, Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 appearances for a Madrid side who also won the Liga title.

His goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Super Cup took the 34-year-old to 324 goals for the Spanish giants.

That edged him ahead of Raul in the club’s all-time list with only Cristiano Ronaldo in front of him with 450.

“He’s in line for the Ballon d’Or. Is there any doubt? For me, no,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Manchester United’s Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is nominated again this year.

Benzema is joined on the 30-man list by teammates Thibaut Courtois, Casemiro, 2018 winner Luka Modric, Vinicius and former Chelsea player Antonio Rudiger.

Beaten Champions League finalists Liverpool have seven players nominated, the most of any club.

They are Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Fabinho, Sadio Mane, since transferred to Bayern Munich, Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.

There is a 20-strong list for the women’s Ballon d’Or including English stars Bronze, Millie Bright and Arsenal forward Beth Mead who won the Golden Boot at the women’s Euro.

France have four nominations — Selma Bacha, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Wendie Renard.

Defending champion Alexia Putellas, who was ruled out of the Euros with a last minute injury, and Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg, the first winner of the prize in 2018, are also in the running.

The 20 female nominees:

Selma BACHA (FRA, Lyon)

Aitana BONMATI (ESP, FC Barcelone)

Millie BRIGHT (ANG, Chelsea)

Lucy BRONZE (ANG, Manchester City puis FC Barcelone)

Kadidiatou DIANI (FRA, PSG)

Christiane ENDLER (CHL, Lyon)

Ada HEGERBERG (NOR, Lyon)

Marie-Antoinette KATOTO (FRA, PSG)

Sam KERR (AUS, Chelsea)

Catarina MACARIO (USA, Lyon)

Beth MEAD (ANG, Arsenal)

Vivianne MIEDEMA (HOL, Arsenal)

Alex MORGAN (USA, Pride d’Orlando puis Wave de San Diego)

Lena OBERDORF (ALL, VfL Wolfsburg)

Asisat OSHOALA (NGA, FC Barcelone)

Alexandra POPP (ALL, VfL Wolfsburg)

Alexia PUTELLAS (ESP, FC Barcelone)

Wendie RENARD (FRA, Lyon)

Trinity RODMAN (USA, Spirit de Washington)

Fridolina ROLFÖ (SUE, FC Barcelone)

The 30 male nominees:

Trent ALEXANDER-ARNOLD (ANG, Liverpool)

Karim BENZEMA (FRA, Real Madrid)

Joao CANCELO (POR, Manchester City)

CASEMIRO (BRE, Real Madrid)

Thibaut COURTOIS (BEL, Real Madrid)

CRISTIANO RONALDO (POR, Manchester United)

Kevin DE BRUYNE (BEL, Manchester City)

Luis DIAZ (COL, FC Porto puis Liverpool)

FABINHO (BRE, Liverpool)

Phil FODEN (ANG, Manchester City)

Erling HAALAND (NOR, Borussia Dortmund puis Manchester City)

Sébastien HALLER (CIV, Ajax puis Borussia Dortmund)

Harry KANE (ANG, Tottenham)

Joshua KIMMICH (ALL, Bayern Munich)

Rafael LEAO (POR, AC Milan)

Robert LEWANDOWSKI (POL, Bayern Munich puis FC Barcelone)

Riyad MAHREZ (ALG, Manchester City)

Mike MAIGNAN (FRA, AC Milan)

Sadio MANÉ (SEN, Liverpool puis Bayern Munich)

Kylian MBAPPÉ (FRA, Paris-SG)

Luka MODRIC (CRO, Real Madrid)

Christopher NKUNKU (FRA, RB Leipzig)

Darwin NUÑEZ (URU, Benfica puis Liverpool)

Antonio RÜDIGER (ALL, Chelsea puis Real Madrid)

Mohamed SALAH (EGY, Liverpool)

Bernardo SILVA (POR, Manchester City)

SON Heung-min (CDS, Tottenham)

Virgil VAN DIJK (HOL, Liverpool)

VINICIUS JUNIOR (BRE, Real Madrid)

Dusan VLAHOVIC (SER, Fiorentina puis Juventus)

Source: AFP

12, August 2022

FIFA moves up World Cup start date one day to November 20 ⁰

FIFA on Thursday officially brought forward the opening match of this year’s World Cup by one day to November 20 in a rare schedule change so that hosts Qatar feature in the gala game.

Football’s ruling executive universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change.

On the old schedule Qatar against Ecuador was to be the official inauguration match on November 21 but Senegal against Netherlands would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.

“Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event,” said FIFA.

“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the bureau of the FIFA Council today.”

“The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” added FIFA.

Under the new plan, the Group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands has been shifted from 1:00pm (1000 GMT) on November 21 to a 7:00pm start. There is no change to England’s opening Group B clash against Iran.

Qatari organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, immediately welcomed FIFA’s gesture.

“Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar,” said the organising committee in a statement.

“The world will be watching as our proud nation kicks-off the biggest sporting event in the world against Ecuador.

“The impact of this decision on fans was assessed by FIFA. We will work together to ensure a smooth tournament for the supporters affected by the change,” they added without giving details.

Official countdown clocks for the event were quickly changed. The 100 day countdown to the opening match will now start on Friday, instead of Saturday.

The decision was also announced as Qatar staged the first official match at the Lusail stadium which will host the December 18 World Cup final.

Before more than 10,000 fans, and with players engulfed in air conditioning to ward off stifling summer heat, Al Arabi beat Al Rayyan in the Qatar championship.

Source: AFP

11, August 2022

Football: Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt to win fifth UEFA Super Cup ⁰

Goals from David Alaba and Karim Benzema gave Real Madrid a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and a fifth UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

While Frankfurt were dangerous, particularly in the first half, Madrid’s experience and individual quality saw them through, as it did so often in their victorious 2021-22 Champions League campaign.

Frankfurt had the best of the early stages, with Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois forced into a stunning anticipation save when one-on-one with Daichi Kamada in the 14th minute.

Madrid almost got there first, when Benzema released Vinicius to curl past Kevin Trapp in the penalty box, only for Tuta to clear the ball off the line.

With Madrid dominating possession, Frankfurt mounted several counter-attacks until Madrid launched a counter of their own in the 37th minute.

A diving Trapp got his fingertips to a goal-bound shot by Vinicius, pushing the ball out for a corner.

From the ensuing play, Benzema linked with Casemiro just next to the right post.

The Brazilian sucked in several Frankfurt defenders and a diving Trapp, before heading back to an unmarked Alaba who scored from close range.

After the goal, Madrid stepped it up a gear and should have gone 2-0 up, with Benzema uncharacteristically dragging the ball wide with the goal begging in the 41st minute.

Vinicius, Benzema connect

Madrid’s quality became more obvious in the second half, with Trapp saving a deflected Vinicius shot in the 54th minute and Casemiro hitting the crossbar with 61 minutes gone.

Borussia Dortmund loanee Ansgar Knauff had a chance saved just minutes later, before Vinicius and Benzema combined to put Madrid 2-0 up.

Vinicius skated down the left before slicing the ball back seemingly unsighted for the Frenchman to hammer home from the edge of the box.

Frankfurt fought hard in the closing stages but Madrid were able to dominate the game to win their fifth Super Cup from eight attempts.

The clash, in Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium, was the first time these two sides had met in a European decider since 1960, when Madrid dismantled Frankfurt 7-3 through four goals to Ferenc Puskas and three to Alfredo di Stefano in the European Cup final.

The match also highlighted the growing gap between the Champions League and Europa League competitions, with Madrid being the ninth Champions League team to win the competition in the past 10 years.

Only city rivals Atletico Madrid have won the Super Cup when qualifying via a Europa League win in the past decade, having done so by beating Real in the 2018 edition.

In the 10 years before, Champions League and Europa League participants won five Super Cups each.

Frankfurt joined Hamburg (1977 and 1983), Dortmund (1997) and Bremen (1992) as losing Super Cup finalists from Germany, with only Bayern Munich (2013 and 2020) having won the showpiece event.

Source: AFP

9, August 2022

Irish Football: Colin O’Brien to nurture Bohemians Nickson Okosun ⁰

Republic of Ireland Mens Under-17s Head Coach Colin O’Brien will oversee a three-day training camp in Dublin this week as he continues preparation for the UEFA European U17 European Championship qualifiers in October.

O’Brien has called-up 22 players to the camp which will take place at the FAI National Training Centre, Abbotstown.

Ireland are set for a friendly double-header next month before heading to Norway in October where they face Norway, Belarus and Armenia.

Republic of Ireland Mens Under-17s squad

Goalkeepers: Darragh Foley (Treaty United), Jamie Gamble (Shelbourne), Jason Healy (Waterford)

Defender: Daniel Babb (UCD), Jake Grante (Crystal Palace), Sean Hayden (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Sean Mackey (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Adam O’Halloran (Galway United), Cory O’Sullivan (Shamrock Rovers), John O’Sullivan (Shamrock Rovers), Sean McCarthy (Bohemians)

Midfielders: Rhys Bartley (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Aidan Cannon (Celtic), Anthony Dodd (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Luke Kehir (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Daniel McGrath (Bohemians), Elidon O’Boyle (Millwall), Naj Razi (Shamrock Rovers),

Forwards: Romeo Akachukwu (Waterford), Cian Morling (Brighton & Hove Albion), Taylor Mooney (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Nickson Okosun (Bohemians)

Culled from FAI

7, August 2022

FECAFOOT says Premier League forward Mbeumo to play for the Indomitable Lions ⁰

Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) said on Friday that Premier League outfit Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has switched allegiance from France to Cameroon.

Mbeumo’s decision came after “extensive discussions” with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o, the FECAFOOT said in a statement.

“I’m impatient to begin this new adventure,” Mbeumo said in a tweet.

Mbeumo has made 10 appearances for France at the youth level and the FECAFOOT must obtain clearance from the FIFA to permit him to play for the Indomitable Lions.

FECAFOOT officials said they were confident such clearance will be quick to permit Mbeumo to feature for Cameroon at the World Cup in Qatar.

Source: Xinhaunet

5, August 2022

Letter to Samuel Eto’o on the creation of a football hall of fame in Cameroon ⁰

Dear Mr. Eto’o,

This is to propose to you the creation of a Football Hall of Fame in Cameroon which will not only immortalize our football heroes and history but will also highlight the role some of our great footballers like you played in bringing joy and glory to our country.

Your name recognition and your convening power can help mobilize resources for this project. The proposal, if well-developed, could also go a long way in helping FECAFOOT to put the spotlight on those whose sacrifice and determination made Cameroonians proud.

I have been reading the stories of some of our greatest footballers and I strongly hold that such a rich history could be well-documented and marketed to young Cameroonians who may be interested in football or who may just want to know those who played for their country in the past. Seeing those faces on TV and other information platforms could remind many that some of our football heroes are still around, and that we are eternally grateful and indebted to them.

Many Cameroonians have heard about Mbappe Samuel, Jean Moukoko (de Confiance) Toko Jean Pierre, Roger Milla, Mbida Gregoire, Kunde Emmanuel, Jean Manga Onguene and others who brought glory to our country, but as the years expire, many of these glorious stories also disappear just like our heroes of yesteryears.

The notion of a Hall of Fame is purely American, but it could be copied and adapted to our context. This Hall of Fame could be a massive structure with sub-components such as conference centers, exhibition centers, a hotel, and archives where researchers can have up-to-date information on Cameroon’s football history.

Cameroon is a nation wherein the beautiful game is adored and anything regarding this game, which is more of a religion, can help to create jobs and opportunities for our youths who are so passionate about this game. The organization of an event such as “The Night of the Greats” will help to bring together some of our football living legends who have been forgotten for decades.

Such an event should also bring together advertisers, politicians and businesspeople who may see the event as a place for them to be in the spotlight which should, of course, come with a huge price tag. The spotlight is never cheap and FECAFOOT can use it to make money which could be invested in footballing activities across the country.

FECAFOOT can put together a team of fine writers whose job will be to update documents and other information platforms relating to our football greats and heroes. This proposal could be a money spinner if well-developed and it could also bring a lot of hope to our youths whose love for the beautiful game is immeasurable.

Financial independence should be FECAFOOT’s long-term goal and events and proposals like this one should help the country’s football governing body to find new and innovative ways of achieving that independence.

I stand by for any details you may require to develop this idea.

Sincerely,

Joachim Arrey

arreyjoachim@hotmail.com