Cameroon in Sydney 2000: CPDM in Rio 2016 ⁰

Following the poor performance of Team Cameroon in the Rio Olympic Games 2016, Jeune Afrique International magazine recently invoked the memories of the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 which saw Cameroon winning an Olympic Gold Medal in football. While Cameroon went unnoticed in Rio, Jeune Afrique successfully traced the 16 Cameroon football legends of Sydney 2000 revealing their activities after departing from the beautiful game.

The attackers

Samuel Eto’o: He still plays football in Turkey Antalyasport, after going through Majorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Anzhi, Chelsea, Everton and Genoa … Eto’o owns many football schools and heads a foundation that cares for disadvantaged, including refugees in northern Cameroon, in partnership with UNHCR and Oxfam.

Patrick Mboma: Retired since 2005, after scoring 33 goals in 56 caps for the Lions, is a consultant for Canal + Africa. He also football FIFA agent and at some point was involved in the activities of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT.  He also launched a business venture via the Hope Finance Company. The adventure nevertheless ended in court, and the company was declared bankrupt.

Patrick Suffo: He played his football in France, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Norway, Israel and England, where he finished his career. After working as a sports agent (he notably negotiated the loan of his compatriot Jean Makoun to Olympiakos in Greece in 2011), he turned into a businessman and today is an economic operator Cameroon in the oil sector. He had previously worked as a public relations officer for an oil company in Norway.

Albert Meyong: He is still active and currently plays in southern Portugal for club Vitória Setúbal.  He also had a two-year transition in Angola, Kabuscorp. He played for the Indomitable Lions until 2009.

Midfielders

Lauren Mayer Etamé:  After five seasons in Spain, in 2000 he moved to the Premiership and joined Arsenal, where he remained until December 2006. He had a spell with Portsmouth until June 2009. Lauren signed for Córdoba CF 2010 a Spanish second division for half a season before retiring. He then worked with ITV4, British television for Sky Sports and for Spain as a consultant. He lives in Seville, Spain with his family.

Geremi Njitap:  His brilliant career took him to Turkey, Spain and England. After Real Madrid, Chelsea and Newcastle United, he played in Turkey and then again in Greece until 2011. He has now become a businessman in Cameroon, particularly in the property sector.

Nicolas Alnoudji: He played in Turkey, France, Belgium, Portugal and Malta. He returned to play in Cameroon in 2014 and is still in football business with Bamboutos club of Mbouda.

Serge Mimpo: He was in Greece in 2000 with the club Ethnikos Asteras where he had three great seasons. He then moved to France and played for Paris FC from 2003 to 2009, then to National CFA, FCM Aubervilliers (2011-2012) and then to USA Clichy. He now coaches the reserve team.

Modeste M’Bami:  A former player with Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille, he travelled to Spain, China, Saudi Arabia and Colombia before joining the French club Le Havre. He is still evolving in Ligue 2 as a midfielder. He played in the national team until 2009.

Clement Beaud: He played in Poland, Lithuania, China and Portugal. He was part of the workforce Club Semache in the Portuguese fourth division until 2013. He still lives in Portugal.

Daniel Ngom Kome: His career came to an abrupt end because of a right knee osteoarthritis, which earned him three operations of the meniscus. Father of two children (seven and eight years old), he lives in Douala and is now the representative of the Spanish Mahou beer and co-manager of Future EM Sarl (official sponsor of the Cameroon Football Federation).

The defenders

Pierre Wome: He played in Italy with Inter Milan and Bologna and moved to England, then Spain and finally to Germany, after a brief return to Italy. In 2010, he engaged with a Gabonese club before returning to Cameroon, playing in Garoua and Yaoundé. In 2014, Pierre Wome he was in France, where he joined FC Chambly, Country Club and in 2015 with the US Roye-Noyon, where he is still evolving. He was involved Hope Finance Company scandal and had a legal battle with one time teammate Patrick Mboma.

Patrice Abanda: He was in Greece and the Czech Republic (Sparta Prague, Teplice). During a medical visit to Dynamo Kiev, a liver problem (hepatitis) was diagnosed and that put an end to his career in December 2005. He returned to Cameroon and now works for the National Social Insurance Fund.

Aaron Nguimbat:  He left Canon Yaoundé, for Latvia- Skonto Riga. He was three times champion of Latvia and participated in the 2005-2006 Champions League before returning to Cameroon to Unisport Bafang. From 2007 to 2009, he was in Indonesia and signed with Sriwijaya FC and finally returned home where he lives and runs a small business.

Serge Branco:  After spells in Germany, England and Russia, where it has had problems of racism, he engaged with Duisburg, Germany, and QPR, England. He then headed to Oman where he won the championship and the cup in 2014. He works and lives in Frankfurt, Germany.

Joël Epalle:  After Sydney, he palyed in Greece and Germany. He remains the greatest player ever signed by FC Bochum in Germany. Former Cameroon international is now a coach. He took the reins of Val in Europe early in the 2015 season. The club plays in regional division.

The goalkeepers

Carlos Kameni:  He is the only player still active in the Cameroon national team. He is still under contract with the Malaga in Spain and had the luxury of stopping a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo in February.

Daniel Bekono: He evolved with Canon Yaoundé until 2002, then in Baham. He flew to Bulgaria, where he played until 2010, including FK CSKA Sofia, with whom he was champion in 2010. Daniel Bekono was dismissed for disciplinary problems in 2010 after missing several training sessions. He still lives in Bulgaria.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai