7, March 2024

Jurgen Klinsmann among those shortlisted for the vacant Indomitable Lions job ⁰

Rigobert Song was sacked as the head coach of the Cameroonian national team after the Indomitable Lions’ elimination at the Round 16 stage of the 2023 AFCON.

It was clear the former skipper of Camereon, Song, was going to be sacked as his tenure had been marked with indiscipline and poor performance.

2017 AFCON winner, now the head coach of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, has been linked with the Cameroonian job once again as Toni Conceicao, who coached them in the 2021 AFCON is also linked to return.

The latest coaches linked and believed to have been shortlisted for the vacant head coach role are Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann and French duo Raymond Domenech and Antoine Komboure.

It is believed that one of these legendary coaches will likely be confirmed as the head coach of the Indomitable Lions sooner than later.

Jurgen Klinsmann, former FIFA World Cup winner as a footballer for Germany in 1990, was in charge of South Korea in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup but was sacked after the tournament after failing to impress his bosses.

72-year-old Raymond Domenech was in charge of France from 2004-2010 where he took them to the 2006 World Cup finals against Italy. He last managed Nantes in the 20-21 season.

Antoine Komboure, 62, born in Noumea, New Caledonia, has managed PSG, Lens, and Strasbourg among many other clubs and has been shortlisted as a possible candidate to replace Rigobert Song.

Source: Sports World

7, March 2024

Cameroon cocoa hits record prices amid global demand surge ⁰

During a collective cocoa sale on March 5, 2024, in Abong-Mbang, a key cocoa-producing area in Eastern Cameroon, producer prices per kilogram soared to a new record of CFA4,225, marking the highest rate both nationally and globally. Following this milestone, on March 6, 2024, Cameroon’s Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, issued an official statement celebrating the remarkable achievement of the Cameroonian cocoa market, attributing its global prominence to favorable international market dynamics and the consistent improvement in the quality of the nation’s cocoa beans.

Indeed, the continued improvement in beans quality, coupled with the current favorable conditions of Cameroon’s cocoa sector, which has seen producer prices rising for months, is a result of the international market’s situation. This includes projected production declines in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s leading producers, mainly due to climate-related issues and aging plantations. According to forecasts by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), global production for 2023-2024 is expected to fall by 11% to 4.45 million tons. This is anticipated to lead to a market deficit of 374,000 tons by September 2024, a significant increase from the 74,000 tons recorded during the 2022/2023 cocoa season.

International price surge

The adverse conditions in the international market have led to a surge in cocoa prices, translating into better remuneration for producers in countries like Cameroon. As reported by Ecofin Agency, “since the start of 2024, cocoa has been the best-performing agricultural commodity on the markets, gaining 56.4%, or more than $2,300 per ton annually. After breaking the July 2, 1977 record of $5379 in early February, the price of the benchmark cocoa contract for March delivery on the Intercontinental Exchange in New York broke the $6000 barrier, reaching a daily high of $6929. On February 26, 2024, prices closed at $6884 per ton. All in all, this is a real breakthrough for brown gold, which only a year earlier was trading at $2,668 a ton”.

Beyond the favorable international context, Cameroonian producers are also benefiting from the strategy of collective sales, which enhances their bargaining power against buyers. This sales method, fostering competition among buyers and subsequently increasing producer remuneration, coupled with the robust demand, explains the surge in prices for Cameroon’s distinctive red-brown cocoa beans since the start of the 2023-2024 campaign. Furthermore, the battle between exporters, typically affiliated with major international traders, and local processors vying for control over the increasingly scarce beans has intensified.

As exporters continue to make massive purchases, the country has welcomed three new local processing plants in less than three years (Atlantic Cocoa, Neo Industry, and Africa Processing), with combined capacities approaching 100,000 tons.

Several operators are prepared to increase their bids to acquire beans, aiming to maintain operations in their frequently idle factories caused by a shortage of raw materials.

Source: Business in Cameroon

6, March 2024

Champions League: Haaland scores as Man City cruised past Copenhagen ⁰

Manchester City enjoyed the perfect warm-up for Sunday’s crucial Premier League trip to Liverpool as they cruised past Copenhagen to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for a sixth successive season.

Ahead by two goals from the first leg in Copenhagen three weeks ago, any lingering hopes of a shock were ended within nine minutes as Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez found the net.

Erling Haaland went joint top of the tournament scoring charts alongside Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe as he netted his sixth of the campaign – and 29th in all competitions – as City scored a third before half-time after the visitors had pulled one back.

The Norwegian, who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reminded everyone Manchester United could have signed for £17m in 2019 on the Stick to Football podcast, has scored in three successive games for the first time since October.

It is good news for City boss Pep Guardiola before the Anfield encounter.

Guardiola had said in the build-up he would not be spending any time thinking about Liverpool until the Copenhagen match was out of the way.

That statement was exposed by the fact he made seven changes to the side that beat Manchester United at the weekend and then replaced key man Rodri at the break.

The changes did not hinder City, who are on the longest current run of successive Champions League quarter-final appearances. The only English club to ever have done better in the competition is Manchester United, who reached the last eight in seven consecutive seasons from 1996-97 to 2002-03.

Source: BBC

6, March 2024

Francis Ngannou clashes with Tyson Fury at Anthony Joshua news conference ⁰

Ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou clashed with Tyson Fury and says he is “just getting started” in boxing before his heavyweight fight with Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou faces Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Friday but opted to do his best verbal sparring with former opponent Fury at Wednesday’s news conference.

Joshua took a back seat as Fury reacted to Ngannou’s suggestion he had “struggled” in their October bout.

“I had one win over [Fury] and I want one more,” Ngannou said with a grin.

Fury shouted back that he would face Ngannou in the “octagon” – the UFC’s trademark cage – to which the French Cameroonian replied: “Your only chance is in a boxing ring, with boxing rules.”

Ngannou was the UFC’s reigning heavyweight champion when he left the promotion last year.

The 37-year-old made his boxing debut against Fury four months ago and suffered a contentious split-decision loss – but sent shockwaves through the sport by dropping the WBC champion in the third round.

Ngannou and Fury clashed at Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s house on Tuesday and the MMA star was in a bullish mood on Wednesday with the Briton in the audience.

“I’m just getting started. I don’t think that [beating Joshua] will make any statement of my career because the road is still long,” he said.

The remarkable possibility remains that Ngannou could fight for a world title in his third boxing bout, should he beat Joshua in what is only his second fight.

“I really think I haven’t shocked the world yet,” he said, adding he is “still learning” the art of boxing.

Joshua, 34, appeared relaxed at Monday’s grand arrivals and a little tetchy at the open workouts the following day.

He was more jovial at the news conference but in what is becoming a theme in AJ fight weeks, the Watford-born man was reluctant to give any soundbites or engage in verbal jabs the closer the bout comes.

Asked for his response on Ngannou saying he will look for a knockout, Joshua succinctly replied: “Let’s go. The best man will always win. It’s not rocket science.”

There was a respectful and light-hearted exchange between the headliners when Ngannou handed his opponent a set of wireless headphones. Joshua often attends news conferences with music playing in just one ear.

Promoter Hearn predicted his fighter will become undisputed champion, with Friday’s winner a potential next opponent for either Oleksandr Usyk or Fury – most likely in 2025.

Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF titles, faces WBC belt-holder Fury in May for the undisputed heavyweight title, with a rematch already agreed.

Source: BBC

6, March 2024

Senegal sets March 24 as new date for delayed presidential election ⁰

The Senegalese government has set March 24 as the new date for the country’s delayed presidential election, according to an official statement issued Wednesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.

President Macky Sall who faces term limits at the end of his second period in office, said in early February that he was postponing an election for 10 months, just weeks before it was set to take place on Feb. 25.

But Senegal’s highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, rejected that move and ordered the government to set a new election date as soon as possible.

“The President of the Republic informed the Council of Ministers of the setting of the date of the presidential election for Sunday March 24, 2024,” government spokesperson Abdou Karim Fofana said in the statement. “The President of the Republic also informed the Prime Minister and ministers of the formation of a new Government.”

Source: AP

6, March 2024

Gulf of Aden: Two killed in Houthi missile attack on cargo ship ⁰

Two crew members have been killed in a Houthi missile strike on a cargo ship off southern Yemen, US officials say – the first deaths the group’s attacks on merchant vessels have caused.

The Barbados-flagged True Confidence had been abandoned and was drifting with a fire on board, managers said.

It was hit in the Gulf of Aden at about 09:30 GMT, they added.

The Houthis say their attacks are to support the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said the True Confidence’s crew had ignored warnings from Houthi naval forces.

The British embassy in Yemen said the sailors’ deaths were the “sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping” and insisted the attacks had to stop.

Six crew members were also injured, a US official told the BBC’s US partner CBS.

The attack happened about 50 nautical miles (93km) south-west of the Yemeni city of Aden, a spokesman for the ship’s owners and managers said in a statement.

Following the attack, Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported on Wednesday evening that two US-led air strikes had targeted the international airport in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hudaydah.

Source: BBC

6, March 2024

The Beti-Bulu veil of falsehoods in the nation’s capital Yaoundé ⁰

Lies, fraud, deception and falsehoods have woven an intricate web within the fabric of the Francophone dominated Cameroon political society, with its so-called head of state, Paul Biya and his Beti-Bulu kinsmen spearheading a culture of shameless lying among political, judicial, and CPDM government officials.

To understand the roots of this pervasive dishonesty and its far-reaching consequences, both English and French speaking Cameroonians must agree that for 41 years, Biya and his ruling CPDM gang have unleashed a lying machine that disseminates misinformation from the highest-ranking officials to the smallest political, judicial, military and religious figures in the country. This culture of shameless lying extends its reach into domestic, foreign, football including religious issues without discrimination.

Even as he begins to smell his last days on earth, Biya’s machinery of lies still persists and leaving no sector deep within the Cameroonian society untouched by this pervasive apparatus of deception.

There are many prime examples of Biya’s questionable competence including Lake Nyos, SDF launch in Bamenda, State of Emergency, Yaoundé University Crisis, Nsam Fire Disaster, Mbanga-Mpondo Plane Crash, Murder of Bishop Balla, Captain Guerandi Affair, Ngarbuh Massacre and Covid 19. After 41 years, it is evidently clear that Biya and his Beti Bulu men and women were never equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern Cameroon.

Biya lies as he breaths and it has now become evident that deception is not merely a tool employed by his Beti-Bulu tribal political elites but a deeply ingrained element of the Cameroon political, social, and religious landscape. From the palace coup that ousted the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo to contemporary incidents like the brutal murder of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bafia Mgr Jean-Benoît Bala and journalist Martinez Zogo, the intricate web of deceit seems to have no bounds.

Today in Yaoundé the nation’s capital, deception spans across all echelons of power and even respectable Southern Cameroonians like Peter Mafany Musonge, Dion Ngute and Philemon Yang are now engaged in a culture of shameless lying that extends beyond borders and domains, leaving citizens in a perpetual state of uncertainty and mistrust.

The controversy surrounding Minister Fame Ndongo’s recent assertion of Mvomeka’a as the biblical promise land adds another layer of complexity to the Cameroon political story. The potential implications of Fame Ndongo’s perceived divine connection of Mvomeka’a—President Biya’s place of birth and that of the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ, if left unaddressed, could lead to disastrous consequences.

We of the Cameroon Concord News Group believe that the unraveling of deception within the ruling CPDM crime syndicate in Yaoundé demands a collective acknowledgment of the gravity of the issue and a commitment to fostering a society built on transparency, accountability, and truth. Only through a sincere reckoning with the realities at hand can the “United Republic of Cameroon” hope to overcome the shadows of deceit that have cast a long and enduring veil over its governance.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

5, March 2024

Bayern Munich in quarter-finals of the Champions League ⁰

Harry Kane scored two to help Bayern Munich overturn a first-leg deficit against Lazio and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Rome, Bayern looked set for a frustrating night until Kane’s header levelled the scores on aggregate.

Long-serving Thomas Muller doubled the lead on the night with another header.

Kane made it 3-1 on aggregate from close range after Leroy Sane’s shot was parried into his path.

It was an impressive turnaround by Bayern, who have endured a bitterly disappointing domestic campaign.

Thomas Tuchel’s side were facing a first season without a major trophy since 2011-12.

However, this win keeps alive Tuchel’s hopes of delivering Bayern a seventh European title before the former Chelsea boss leaves at the end of the season.

The quarter-final draw takes place on 15 March.

Harry Kane poses for a photo with the player of the match award after helping Bayern Munich beat Lazio in the Champions League — Harry Kane has scored 33 goals in 33 appearances for Bayern Munich in all competitions, including 22 goals in 17 outings at the Allianz Arena

Kane delivers priceless double

With 101 days to go before the start of Euro 2024, England captain Kane produced a priceless double to keep his side’s season alive.

He had already been denied by Lazio keeper Ivan Provedel when he pounced in the 38th minute after a clever move involving Raphael Guerreiro and Muller.

His 50th goal in European competition lifted the mood inside the Allianz Arena and was followed in first-half injury time by Muller’s glancing header after a rasping volley from Matthijs de Ligt.

Kane’s second sealed an impressive win before Muller hit the post late on.

The former Tottenham player now has 33 Bundesliga and Champions League goals since moving to Germany from Tottenham for an initial £86.4m plus add-ons.

He scored 32 goals for Spurs in all competitions last season (49 appearances).

Lazio were crestfallen at the final whistle.

The Italian club had arrived in Germany looking to cause a major upset but wasted a great chance to make it 2-0 on aggregate when Ciro Immobile headed wide shortly before Kane’s first goal.

Bayern have struggled under Tuchel this season after sweeping to 11 successive Bundesliga titles.

They trail leaders Bayer Leverkusen by 10 points with 10 games to go in the league and were knocked out of the German Cup by third division Saarbrucken.

This, however, was a rare night where Tuchel could afford to smile after a stylish win.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel celebrates after Bayern Munich defeat Lazio in the Champions League — Bayern Munich advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the 12th time in 13 seasons

Source: BBC

5, March 2024

Boxing: Ngannou ready to face Joshua ⁰

It was one of the most arresting spectacles in boxing for some time: Francis Ngannou dancing a jig of pleasure while leaning over a floored and obviously dazed Tyson Fury.

For boxing purists, disaster was brewing. Was a UFC fighter, in his very first boxing match, about to knock out a reigning world heavyweight champion?

Fury got back up and eventually won a much-discussed and unconvincing split decision victory, but Ngannou had made a spectacular entrance into the boxing world.

On Friday, the Franco-Cameroonian has another chance to shake up the established order and prepare for a new showdown with Fury.

Ngannou is back in Saudi Arabia for the second fight of his career, this time against another Briton, former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.

Much of the pre-fight news assumes a victory for Joshua which would allow him to face Fury, provided that the latter – WBC champion – beats Oleksandr Usyk – WBA, IBF and WBO champion – in their rearranged fight on May 18 which will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since the year 2000.

Ngannou is; however, ready to make headlines in his bid to become a boxing champion so soon after dominating the UFC scene.

“I exposed myself – the next opponent (Joshua) knows what to expect,” Ngannou said upon his arrival in Riyadh. “I’ve lost the element of surprise. So how can I surprise him again? What can I pull out of my sleeve one more time?”

Ngannou exudes a cool and confident air. He may be new to elite boxing, but the sport was his first love during a difficult upbringing in Cameroon, and he said it was only a matter of time before he returned to it.

“At the beginning, it was boxing. I didn’t know MMA. And for more than a decade, I only thought about boxing, I dreamed about boxing,” he said.

“Then even when the opportunity presented itself (in the UFC), it was an opportunity for me to shine, to be a world champion, and then potentially change to transition and come back to boxing. I feel like it was something that I needed, that I had to accomplish, to be at peace with myself.”

Ngannou, 37, fell out with the UFC and UFC president Dana White stripped him of his belt in January last year. Within five months, Ngannou signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a rival organization.

However, he has yet to fight in the PFL as he is focusing on boxing. He intends to continue his career in MMA, but alongside boxing, not instead of it.

The big question heading into the Ngannou-Joshua fight – the latest high-profile boxing event in what is quickly becoming the sport’s new home in Saudi Arabia – is: Fury won’t Is he just not prepared well enough? Did Fury simply prepare poorly against Ngannou, thinking he would be easy to beat, but instead finding himself sprawled on the canvas in the third round of a fight that, against all odds, went the distance? Or is Ngannou a true champion and a born pugilist?

The answer should come on Friday, in the final fight for Joshua, who regained his place after two consecutive defeats to Usyk, which cost him his titles and put his career at a crossroads.

Since then, he has won three consecutive fights, but none of them were against elite opponents. His fifth-round stoppage against Otto Wallin in Riyadh in December was a comeback performance, demonstrating his powerful jab and then his renowned power, following disappointing victories against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Ngannou promises to be a much tougher challenge and the prize is huge, with Fury having already called out Joshua to be his next opponent if he gets away with Usyk.

“It’s the fast track to undisputed,” said Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, who is already planning a big-money Joshua-Fury fight that he has failed to secure several times. repeated over the past five years.

As for Joshua, he focuses on the present. “Francis is a hell of a fighter,” he said, “strong, a big hitter and a much better boxer than we all thought he would ever be.”

Source: Africa News

5, March 2024

FECAFOOTgate: Samuel Eto’o facing a legal storm ⁰

During his address to the youth on February 11, 2024, the Head of State, Paul Biya, instructed the government to undertake a profound reform of football administration in Cameroon.

“I understand the importance you place on football. The state, in our difficult context, makes significant financial sacrifices in this regard. It is therefore entitled to demand better organization and better results. We will ensure this. The government, and particularly the Ministry of Sports, have received clear instructions on the matter,” declared the Cameroonian leader, himself a keen sportsman.

Promptly, hearings were conducted at the Prime Minister’s Office, involving even the president of the FECAFOOT, as part of government measures aimed at improving the management of resources allocated to football. The final report will be submitted to the president soon. Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Kombi Mouelle, has chosen not to renew the contract of Rigobert Song and his coaching staff. Additionally, an investigation has been announced by the Special Criminal Court (TCS) into the management of FECAFOOT, particularly regarding the use of public funds.

At the time, whistleblower Boris Bertolt had specified the 2.7 billion FCFA. This investigation, reportedly entrusted to Commissioner Oko Petit Joël, will focus on the allocation of funds by the state to FECAFOOT, estimated at nearly 30 billion FCFA, as well as the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA intended for the World Cup in Qatar.

It is necessary to look back to the eve of the World Cup to understand the causes of this situation. Indeed, a few weeks before the start of the 2022 World Cup, a subsidy of 14 billion was requested by the Cameroonian football governing body for the participation of the Indomitable Lions in the tournament. However, this amount was deemed too exorbitant by state decision-makers, who decided to grant only 4.176 billion.

Additionally, it was agreed that FECAFOOT should cover roughly half, which is 2.732 billion FCFA. Lacking the necessary financial resources to pay this amount, the head of FECAFOOT turned to the Cameroonian public treasury to secure a loan under certain conditions. He had promised that Cameroon would reach the final of the World Cup and that repayment would be made with the prize money bonuses provided by FIFA. However, the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA has become problematic.

Source: Afriquesports