The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, has made a formal request to the world basketball ruling body, FIBA demanding it take action against the Cameroon Basketball Federation.

Reason for the request is based on Cameroon’s for allegation that Nigeria fixed her game against Cote d’ Ivoire in the last window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers.

Though, FIBA through its ethics committee in a letter dated April 16 and sent to the Nigeria and Cameroon federations had thrown the case out for lack of substance, the Nigeria Basketball Federation is praying FIBA to slam Cameroon for alleging match fixing in the first place. The Fédération Camerounaise de Basket-Ball (FECABASKET) had filed a protest after failing to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 with Cote d’ Ivoire emerging the best third placed team out of the two groups that produced Nigeria, Senegal, Angola and Tunisia. Nigeria had gone into the last window with an impressive 9-0 record and had made it clear after punching their ticket for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China that they wanted to end the qualifiers unbeaten.

Freethrow gathered that the FIBA ethics committee had looked into the mattered and resolved that Cameroon did not have any case against Nigeria.

Source: The Sun

Defending African champions Cameroon have released their preliminary squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations Cup, with Joel Matip and Nicolas Nkoulou not included in the 34-man squad named by coach Clarence Seedorf.

Matip last played for the Indomitable Lions in September 2016, while Nkoulou has refused to honour invitations since the final against the Pharaohs two years ago, a game in which he came off the bench to score.

Two months ago, Seedorf revealed that the stay-away duo wouldn’t be begged to return, but that he wouldn’t shut the door on them featuring at the upcoming tournament.

For the first three months after assistant coach Patrick Kluivert and I signed with Cameroon, we have dedicated a lot of time to meeting and speaking with Matip and Nkoulou.

“For the first three months after assistant coach Patrick Kluivert and I signed with Cameroon, we have dedicated a lot of time to meeting and speaking with Matip and Nkoulou,” he told Goal.

“There’s been no response,” he continued, “but we have to have a deadline because we need to build a team, we cannot chase players.

“If players want to join us, they know where to find us.”

Key names Karl Toko Ekambi, Vincent Aboubakar, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Andre Onana have been included in Seedorf’s shortlist, as has Christian Bassogog, the Afcon MVPwhen Cameroon won the tournament in 2017.

The five-time African champions qualified for this year’s competition with a 3-0 defeat of Comoros in March and will aim to defend their title at the biennial tournament.

Seedorf’s charges begin their title defence in Group F against Guinea-Bissau at Ismailia Stadium on June 25, before facing off with four-time champions Ghana on June 29, with their final group encounter coming against Benin on July 2.

Source: Agencies

Guinea’s national under-17 male football team on Sunday lost 3-5 after penalty kicks to their Cameroonian counterparts in a pulsating final match at the Africa Under-17 Nations Cup competition.

In the final match played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania both sides drew goalless after 90 minutes of intense action.

Both sides failed to score any goal for the game to go on to penalty kicks directly.

They scored their first five kicks each for an advance into the sudden death shots.

It continued as a ding-dong affair, with both sides scoring, until Guinea’s Mohamed Youssouf Sacko missed the fourth kick.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the result means Cameroon takes the AFCON U-17 Cup, while Guinea finished second.

Third place has gone to Angola who, on Saturday, beat Nigeria 2-1 at the same venue in the third-place match.

All four teams have advanced to the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup billed for later in the year in Brazil.

(NAN)

The ongoing Under 17 African Cup of Nations in Tanzania has been rocked by accusations of age cheating. Recently, Moroccan soccer administrative body accused Cameroon of using players who are way over 17. According to the body, the West African nation has a number players who are 25 years old.

The allegations came after Morocco’s loss to Cameroon in a final group B assignment. The young Indomitable Lions triumphed 2-1, a result which saw them seal a place at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.

According to President of the Moroccan soccer body Fouzi Lekjaa, they will report the matter to FIFA since CAF has failed to take appropriate action. He argues the continental body was alerted about the issue.

“I am sorry to say CAF is totally unable to handle this case relating to the age of the players. It is not enough to suspend players who are above the legal age. They should rather disqualify these teams and punish officials who are responsible for this situation,” said Lekjaa

At the ongoing tournament, 6 players were disqualified for age cheating and three of them are Cameroonians. This followed tests which were conducted.

Niger was disqualified for using over aged players at the 2009 tournament. Niger’s disqualification saw Malawi taking their place at the World Cup having automatically earned a semi-final spot. The semi-final line-up includes Angola, Cameroon, Guinea, and Nigeria. The four teams will represent Africa at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.

Source: Malawi24.com

2017 Africa Cup of Nations champions, Cameroon have unveiled new kit ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The unveiling was done in Yaoundé as the team continued its preparations for the biennial tournament.

The team maintained its fitted and round neck style which is known for in the past but the dark green of the body became lighter a little bit.

The Indomitable Lions has been placed alongside four times AFCON winners Ghana, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.

Despite the country being stripped of the hosting right of the competition, they will still have the opportunity to defend the trophy they won two years ago.

Cameroon remains one of the most successful teams in the history of the AFCON, having won it five times with only the seven-time winners Egypt having bettered their record.

Reported by Prime News Ghana

The Black Stars will be up for revenge against the Indomitable Lions, who ended their hopes of winning the 2017 tournament in the semi-finals. Guinea-Bissau and Benin are the other teams, making it an all West African group.

Kwesi Appiah’s men will be based in Ismailia and will begin their tournament against Benin on Monday, 25 June. They will then face Cameroon on 29 June before playing Guinea-Bissau four days later. Ghana have been crowned champions of Africa four times but haven’t lifted the trophy in 37 years.

Hosts nation Egypt will face Zimbabwe, DR Congo and Uganda in Group A while two-time champions Ivory Coast are in Group D alongside Morocco, South Africa and Namibia. Two of the three tournament debutants – Madagascar and Burundi – are in Group B with Nigeria and Guinea.

The other new team, Mauritania, are in Group E with Tunisia, Mali and Angola. Senegal and Algeria are alongside Kenya and Tanzania, who have only qualified once before – in 1980 – in Group C.

The first game of the tournament will be at the Cairo International Stadium between Egypt and on Friday, 21 June. The tournament takes place in six stadiums across Egypt between 21 June and 19 July.

This year’s tournament is the largest Africa Cup of Nations ever, with 24 teams. The top two from each group will go through to the last 16, while the best four third-placed teams also progress – meaning only eight teams are eliminated in the group stages. The draw was held next to the pyramids in Egypt.

DRAW IN FULL

Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi

Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania

Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia

Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola

Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau

Source: Joy Sports/EFF

Comoros have approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) seeking Cameroon’s expulsion from the 2019 Afcon tournament

Caf president Ahmad Ahmad says the case filed by Comoros at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) asking for Cameroon to be kicked out of the 2019 Afcon finals has no merit.

Cameroon was stripped of the 2019 Afcon hosting rights due to ill-preparedness and Egypt has replaced them.

Cameroon will host the 2021 edition.

However, Comoros are seeking the Indomitable Lions’ expulsion from the Afcon tournament citing Article 92 of Caf regulations.

According to Article 92: “If a country having been entrusted with the organisation of the final tournament of the Africa Cup of Nations is desisting or the tournament is being withdrawn from it, it shall be subject, in addition to further disciplinary sanctions, to a fine fixed according to the following scale:

“92.3. Withdrawal notified within one year before the date of the final tournament: a fine of five hundred thousand (500,000) U.S. dollars and a suspension of the next edition of Afcon of it’s A national team, without considering the concerned edition.”

But Ahmad has hit back saying Comoros’ case does not hold water.

“They are fourth in their group. Even if they believe that Cameroon does not deserve to be at the Afcon, Cameroon has just shown on the pitch that they deserve qualification. Everything must first be played on the pitch,” Ahmad was quoted as saying by Radio France International.

“As for the victory on paper, it really takes some irregularities for this to be taken into account. Our rules are clear. Clause 92 talks about withdrawal. And legally this is not the case. So section 92 does not apply. It was Caf who decided to postpone the Afcon of Cameroon, and make this shift (now in 2021, edition).

“It is postponement, not cancellation of the Afcon in Cameroon. Cameroon is not affected by this article that the Comoros want to use.”

It is not yet clear when Cas will make their ruling.

Cameroon qualified from Group B where Comoros finished at the basement with five points after they were beaten 3-0 by the Indomitable Lions in the last qualifying game.

Source: Goal.com

Despite being stripped of the tournament’s hosting rights, the Indomitable Lions booked their place in Egypt with a crucial win in Yaounde

Eric Choupo-Moting, Christian Bassogog and Clinton Njie found the back of the net as Cameroon thrashed Comoros in their final qualifying match for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Saturday’s victory secured the Indomitable Lions’ place in Egypt as they will be looking to retain the continental title they won in Gabon two years ago.

Choupo-Moting sent fans at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo into ecstasy after breaking the deadlock with his effort in 36th minute.

The PSG star who clocked 30 on Saturday finished off a collective team effort with a tap-in before goals from Bassogog and Nije in the 53rd and 89th minutes sent Clarence Seedorf’s charges to the Afcon finals scheduled for June.

Cameroon ended their qualifying campaign as the second best team in Group B behind Morocco with 11 points from six games.

Goal.Com

Defending champions Cameroon are among 21 countries hoping to fill one of 10 places up for grabs this weekend in the final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Indomitable Lions will be among the 24 finalists in Egypt this June provided they avoid defeat at home against the Comoros in Yaounde.

Other hopefuls include South Africa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-captained Gabon while Burundi, the Gambia, Lesotho and the Comoros dream of qualifying for the first time.

AFP Sport assesses the eight groups where places are on the line ahead of the first Cup of Nations to feature 24 teams and the first in the modern era to be staged in mid-year.

Group B

Cameroon coach and former Dutch star Clarence Seedorf has lamented a poor goal return — three in five qualifiers — and he will lack suspended Karl Toko Ekambi.

The Villarreal striker, who scored twice in La Liga last weekend, is suspended and an injury rules out fellow attacker Vincent Aboubakar.

Only a win will suffice for the Comoros and they will lack suspended El Fardou Ben Nabouhane, their chief source of goals.

Group C

Gabon must win in Bujumbura to prevent Burundi creating history and the return of Arsenal star Aubameyang is a timely boost for the underperforming Panthers.

Last year, he refused to visit South Sudan because of unhappiness with the condition of the chartered plane and injury ruled him out of the next qualifier, a home loss to Mali.

Aubameyang managed only one goal in other qualifiers while his Burundi equivalent, Abdul Razak Fiston, has netted six times.

Group D

Benin, Togo and the Gambia have varying chances of joining already-qualified Algeria at the biennial African football showcase.

The Gambians face a near-impossible task as they would have to win in Algeria and hope Benin and Togo draw 48 hours later.

A likelier scenario is Benin and Togo slugging it out in Cotonou with the home team needing a draw while the visitors, who may include veteran Emmanuel Adebayor, must win.

Group E

Three-time champions Nigeria are already through, leaving perennial underachievers South Africa and Libya to scrap for second place.

A draw will suffice for South Africa, who started with a shock away win over Nigeria before a draw in the Seychelles against a team including a pastry chef set them back.

Workmanlike Libya have to win and a stunning midweek win for their Olympic team over Nigeria has boosted morale.

Group G

Leaders Zimbabwe, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and bottom-place Congo Brazzaville are all contenders for two places.

Zimbabwe and DR Congo have home advantage over generally poor travellers Congo and Liberia respectively and victories will ensure qualification.

Khama Billiat is set to be an attacking threat for Zimbabwe while the Congolese hope the pace of Yannick Bolasie and stealth of Cedric Bakambu can cause damage.

Group I

Angola hold a two-point advantage over Burkina Faso in an intriguing two-team chase to join first-time qualifiers Mauritania.

The Angolans, whose winger Geraldo can unlock the tightest defences, are away to poorly performing Botswana and a win guarantees qualification.

But if they slip, 2017 Cup of Nations bronze medallists Burkina Faso can squeeze through by winning at home against Mauritania.

Group K

Traditional African football minnows Guinea-Bissau can make back-to-back Cup of Nations appearances provided they do not lose at home against Mozambique.

Namibia, away to already-eliminated Zambia, will also go to Egypt provided Guinea-Bissau do not lose.

The section was expected to be won by 2012 champions Zambia, but three losses eliminated the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) and cost Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck his job.

Group L

Uganda have booked their passage to the finals with an unbeaten record and outstanding veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango has kept five clean sheets.

Lesotho lie second despite only one win and three goals from five outings and victory in Cape Verde will take the Crocodiles to the finals for the first time.

If Cape Verde triumph, they will qualify unless unpredictable Tanzania obtain maximum points at home to Uganda in an east Africa showdown.

Star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who hopes to lead Gabon to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals this weekend, celebrates scoring for Arsenal

AFP