Samuel Eto’o has suggested how Cameroon can do wonders at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar if they follow what Jose Mourinho achieved with Inter Milan when winning the Champions League trophy in 2010.

The 41-year-old, who is currently the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation, was part of the Inter squad under the Portuguese tactician that won the treble in the 2009-10 season – the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, and their first Champions League title in 45 years.

With Cameroon heading to the World Cup in Qatar where they have been drawn in Group G alongside Serbia and Switzerland, the former Barcelona and Chelsea player believes they can leave a mark at the tournament.

Asked if coach Rigobert Song can lead Cameroon to World Cup glory, Eto’o, who is currently in Italy to announce a charity game in San Siro on May 23, said as quoted by BeSoccer: “I don’t see why he can’t win it.

“I believe that in order to win the World Cup you don’t need to be monsters or aliens, you need good preparation, a strong mentality, and a pinch of madness.

“I won a bit in my career and to do it I gave everything. I always take Inter as an example: no one at the beginning of the 2009-10 season thought we could win [the Champions League] and instead, Mourinho did something crazy, with a group of men and warriors.

“I would like something like that for Cameroon too.”

Cameroon have appeared in the finals of the World Cup on eight occasions, the first being in 1982 where they drew all three group games. In 1990, Cameroon reached the quarter-finals before being defeated 3-2 by England.

The Indomitable Lions will make their eighth appearance at the finals in Qatar 2022.

Source: Goal.com

Four players from the Cameroon handball team disappeared in Spain. They are staying in Spain for the World Handball Championship. According to the delegation of the African country, the handball players have not appeared since Thursday.

The Spanish police launched an investigation into the disappearance of the four-man. “It appears that the women left of their own volition,” a spokeswoman said. The players took all their belongings with them from the players’ hotel in Valencia.

In the past, athletes often used international sporting events as an escape from the poor conditions in their home countries. For example, during the 2012 London Olympics, seven athletes from Cameroon suddenly disappeared.

Cameroon lost all their matches in the group stage of the World Cup.

Source: Commentary box news

Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) President Samuel Eto’o said on Monday that Cameroon is appalled by allegations of match-fixing by Algerian football authorities.

Algerian football coach Djamel Belmadi had told Algerian TV that Cameroon’s 2022 World Cup playoff win over Algeria “was a conspiracy between two or three persons”.

Belmadi argued that Algeria’s home defeat this March in Blida was distorted by the referee’s performance.

“FECAFOOT disputes these defamatory allegations instilled in an allusive way and formulated in a repetitive way by the Algerian football leaders. Cameroon reserves the right to bring the matter before the FIFA Ethics Committee in the coming days,” Eto’o said in a statement on Monday night.

“FECAFOOT urges Algerian football leaders to use legal means to exercise their recognized rights,” he added.

Source: Xinhaunet

Two months after the closing ceremony of the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations Football played in Cameroon, the buses purchased for the transport of the National teams and delegations that took part in AFCON 2021 remain untraceable according to the Cameroonian daily L’Anecdote.

Of the 90 buses put into circulation for the occasion, only that of the Indomitable Lions remains which the team is using for their home games is identified.

This won’t be the first bad report coming from Cameroon after hosting the 2021 AFCON which saw Senegal winning their first AFCON trophy beating Egypt in the finals.

Reports earlier claimed the Cameroon government is yet to pay some workers of the 2021 AFCON before the mysterious disappearance of 89 buses used for the tournament.

One would have thought that each delegation returned to its country with the bus made available to them.

Source: The World News

Cameroon legend Samuel Eto has rejected salary accorded to him as President of Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and instead increased remuneration package for the players.

Samuel Eto’o Fils is a former Cameroon football player who currently presides over the Cameroonian Football Federation having taken over from 11 December 2021

Four-time African Footballer of the Year who lifted the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and Inter Milan was elected President FECAFOOT after garnering 43 votes, ahead of the incumbent president Seidou Mbombo Njoya who received 31 votes.

“We have to bring footballers to the centre of our policies, ” he said afterwards. “It is our role to ensure that those who play this discipline makes a decent living out of it”

According to a report from Africa Awake,the legend promised not to receive salaries as President rather he decided to invest towards players’ wellbeing.

As part of his policies to ensure players earn the right amount for the work,Eto has advocated for high wages for players in Cameroon including the country’s women football league.

He further warned club presidents to pay salaries of local football players promptly, else he will pay them and deduct from clubs if there is any delays.

“The salaries of home-based players are already known. Any club president that does not pay players will no longer receive subsidies.

I’m giving the players the right to press charges against clubs that don’t pay them and FECAFOOT will pay them directly from the subsidies that the clubs in question had to benefit from.

I’ve come to put things in order. I don’t speak; I act. The money I invest in Cameroon football during my tenure must have a convincing outcome.”added former Chelsea striker.

Source: KBC

Senior CPDM barons reportedly held secret talks about how to viciously deal with Samuel Eto’o and Rigobert Song if the Indomitable Lions had failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Cameroon Intelligence Report has gathered from security sources in Yaoundé.

Biya and his corrupt regime designed the plan after the Lions lost their first leg encounter in Douala to the Algerians.

Presuming that the Indomitable Lions will not take part in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the CPDM plan was to have players including some prominent FECAFOOT officials stage a revolt against Song’s appointment and hold Eto’o responsible for misleading the president of the republic.

The Minister of Sports had been given directives to use administrative channels and get football clubs to all agree to boycott the new season launched by Eto’o whilst at the same time organizing their own tournament around the country.

They then invite some prominent Cameroon football veterans into it and when that’s organized as a final coup de grace they call for a vote of no-confidence against Samuel Eto’o, thus torpedoing the new Cameroon football agenda out of the water.

The CPDM backed football clubs will get sponsors from Dangote Cement, MTN and TV deals from Vision 4 and the whole Eto’o executive will be forced to resign.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

Francis Ngannou’s home country Cameroon stunned Algeria to advance to Qatar World cup by virtue of away goals

Cameroon pulled off a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Algeria after extra time to end 2-2 on aggregate and advance on the away goals rule. Cameroon born UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was elated by the achievement and poured his heart out while congratulating them.

Cameroon was trailing 1-0 from the home leg but an early goal brought them back into the tie. But Cameroon’s hopes of qualifying was shattered Ahmed Touba’s scored a header from a corner with two minutes to go in extra time.

The resilient Cameroonians wouldn’t go down without a fight and crafted a miraculous comeback when Karl Toko Ekambi connected with a low volley to see Cameroon take the World Cup place.

Francis Ngannou was enthralled by the performance and qualification and immediately congratulated his native land brothers for their achievement. He posted a picture of himself with the manager of the Cameroon football team, Rigobert Song. A former captain of the team and a legend of the sport himself, Song helped orchestrate this momentous achievement.

He captioned the post, ‘Thank you brother @Song_Officiel_4 for leading our national team to the world cup #Qatar2022 You’re 4ever our captain!!!’

Source: Media Referee

Rigobert Song is a legend in Cameroonian football.

The charismatic former Indomitable Lions captain has 137 appearances under his belt and is the most capped Cameroonian, having represented the country from 1993 to 2010.

Song is one of only three players in Africa to have played in four different AFCON finals—1994, 1998, 2002, and 2010.

He also featured at four different World Cup finals. His legendary status in Cameroon is undeniable.

That being said, that status might suffer irreversible damage.

The 45-year old was appointed head coach of the national team by the order of the country’s President, Paul Biya, shortly after the AFCON 2021 finals—a move that was ratified by Song’s friend, former teammate and now Cameroon Football Federation president, Samuel Eto’o.

Very few people questioned Song’s appointment considering his reputation in Cameroonian football, but the move was a surprise considering all that his predecessor, Antonio Conceicao had achieved with the country’s national team.

The Indomitable Lions finished third in the 33rd edition of the continental showpiece.

Conceicao not only led Cameroon to an AFCON bronze medal, but also to the World Cup qualifying play-offs.

Song was appointed just 24 days before Cameroon battled the Desert Foxes of Algeria in the decisive World Cup qualifier play off, with a place at the global spectacle in Qatar up for grabs.

It was simply a gamble, but one many felt was worth it.

Song’s mission was clear: to guide the Indomitable Lions to the World Cup finals.

They were beaten by Algeria in the first leg last night, with Islam Slimani’s solitary strike on the stroke of half-time being decisive at the Doulala Stadium.

That result sent the Cameroonian football fraternity into panic mode.

There are already conclusions that the Eto’o-led administration pressed the self-destruction button when they appointed Song.

Of course, some Cameroonians will call for patience, just as the Senegalese nation did with Aliou Cisse, but can that tolerance come at the expense of World Cup qualification?

If by any chance, Cameroon fails to overturn the first leg in Algiers next Tuesday, will Song’s reputation not suffer?

Source: Soccer 24

When Samuel Eto’o won the election to become president of the Cameroon soccer federation, he jumped from his chair and punched the air like he might have done after scoring a goal at the height of a playing career that put him among the best strikers in the world.

But that celebration in December marked just the start for Eto’o, who has set himself the daunting task of rebuilding a broken domestic soccer structure in his Central African home country.

Cameroon’s national team is one of Africa’s most successful with five continental titles; Eto’o was on the team for two of them. Cameroon seized the world’s attention with a memorable run to the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup, led by charismatic striker Roger Milla. Many took notice of African soccer after that and Cameroon has gone on to play at seven World Cups, more than any other African nation.

Yet at home, the last decade has been deeply difficult. The national league has been bedeviled by interference from the government, allegations of corruption and unkept promises from soccer leaders. The league has been regularly disrupted, sponsors have deserted it — taking their money with them — and players have lost faith.

“I can’t list the number of players who have left football to do other jobs because they benefit nothing (from playing),” said Che Malone, a defender with Coton Sport, Cameroon’s national champion.

Malone said many players in Cameroon “play for free or almost free” as some teams aren’t always able to pay their salaries.

Enter Eto’o

It was a surprise when the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker announced he was standing as a candidate to lead the troubled Cameroon federation. It was a shock when he won.

Eto’o promised to fight corruption, promote women’s soccer, improve stadiums and other infrastructure, get fans back at games and — maybe his key promise — improve the lives of players.

“It’s imperative to look beyond selfish interests in order to revive our local championships,” Eto’o said.

He also stated he had a mission “to rekindle the winning spirit within our national teams” and there were early signs of that when Cameroon impressed and excited on the way to third place at the African Cup of Nations it hosted in January and February.

Turning around the domestic game won’t be nearly so easy, or immediate.

But the 41-year-old Eto’o has made a start, establishing a minimum wage for players in the top two tiers and enforcing rules requiring club owners to show proof they have enough money to pay their players and staff.

He has also negotiated a deal to see the return of league sponsor MTN, a multinational telecommunications company, and has promised to build 10 stadiums in answer to players’ pleas for better settings to ply their trade. Some lower-tier games go ahead on fields that have more bare earth than grass.

Cameroon’s top tier is also back up and running again having kicked off on March 16.

There’s a long road ahead, but Eto’o “has ignited hope in us,” said Frank Abianda, a striker with top-tier club AS Fortuna. “At one moment the future seemed very dark.”

Source: AP

The recent African Cup of Nations (Afcon) held in Cameroon showed the people’s love for football, but as the national side prepares for a World Cup play-off, not all Cameroonians want the team to make it to Qatar, as BBC Tony Vinyoh reports.

It is a common refrain that sport and politics should not mix, but when it comes to football in Cameroon they are inextricably linked.

The five-year conflict that has pitted Anglophone separatists against the central government has seeped onto the football field.

When Egypt beat Cameroon in the Afcon semi-finals, much of the country went into mourning but Bamenda, the centre of dissent in the English-speaking regions, erupted in celebration. Most of those celebrating Cameroon’s defeat did so in the safety of their homes but their voices could be heard across town.

Whistles, chants and even motorbike stunts in the suburb of Bambili reflected the feeling among many southern Cameroonians to whom the Indomitable Lions, as the national team is known, have become a vivid representation of a union they despise.

As a passionate football fan he is aware of the role that sport plays in politics in the country, and the impact it has on the lives of his patients.

“This country has a tendency to use football to sweep burning issues under the rock. They tend to put more money into football because they know football is a unifying factor,” he says.

The anger in Bamenda is a remarkable reversal from 1998 when some residents set fire to the offices of Cameroon’s national energy supplier in angry protest after power went out before the Indomitable Lions played Austria at that year’s World Cup.

At the time Cameroon’s separatist movement was an underground campaign championed by recalcitrant civil servants anticipating early retirement.

Dr Ebogo backed Cameroon until 2016 when the southern Cameroonian crisis started. He now believes Cameroon’s sporting victories play into the government’s strategy of diverting attention.

“Even if you’re fighting and the Indomitable Lions win, you forget about what you’re fighting for. They’ve done this systematically for many years. Each victory that the Indomitable Lions bring home increases the misery of the people.”

The team plays a central role in the carefully choreographed image of 89-year-old President Paul Biya, who is in his 40th year in power.

As first sportsman of the republic, a popular video clip of a youthful Mr Biya congratulating the team was played on national TV after every Afcon victory at the recent tournament.

“Most Cameroonians think that when the Indomitable Lions win it is because of the strong man,” Dr Ebogo says.

“The Indomitable Lions win a trophy and people send motions of support to the president of the republic.”

People in Bamenda are careful who they voice their opinions to, so it is a constant struggle to mute their joy when the Indomitable Lions lose.

Out in the open where dissent can be deadly – knowing looks and beaming faces tell only a small part of the story.

In the colonial era, Cameroon was carved up by the French and British, which left a linguistic and cultural divide.

For decades after independence English-speakers complained they were marginalised, with political and economic power concentrated in the hands of the French-speaking majority.

That has now broken out into open revolt and calls for independence for the English-speaking region.

The first casualty of the war was the women’s national team.

‘Anyone But Cameroon’

As hosts of the women’s Afcon in 2016 they were expected to challenge Nigeria for the trophy.

When the tournament kicked off on 19 November most bars in Bamenda were full of fans cheering on the Indomitable Lionesses despite the brutal crackdown on southern Cameroonian activists a few weeks earlier.

By 3 December, the day of the final, this mood had been replaced by apathy and outright opposition as the situation deteriorated. It took only two weeks to destroy decades of southern Cameroonian support.

Most Southern Cameroonians never warmed up to this year’s continental tournament. To many, ABC – or Anyone But Cameroon – was the principle. Dr Ebogo signed onto Team ABC and invested time scouting Cameroon’s opponents.

“In Bamenda there was nothing like a Nations Cup fever. They even offered to ferry people to Bafoussam and nobody moved,” he said referring to the free tickets, transportation and coercion that the government and politicians put in place to fill empty stadiums.

But not everyone agrees.

For Smith Mbua, a human resources professional, his passion for the game overrides his politics. He travelled to Yaoundé to watch Cameroon play Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

“Football should have nothing to do with politics. We will solve our problems one way or another, but it shouldn’t deprive people of things that make them happy,” he says.

“We have more important issues. We need hospitals, better schools, we need to pay our teachers who are on strike right now because they haven’t received salaries, but football has always brought us peace.”

Mr Mbua says he has not received any threats since returning from Afcon, but admits he is discreet about his love for the Indomitable Lions. He thinks support for the national team can come down to things like performance and personal choice.

He is more sanguine about the level of support among southern Cameroonians.

“I dare to say that 60% of Anglophones supported the national team at the Afcon. People are angry but I think deep down in our hearts we still love our country.”

Dr Ebogo thinks that even the appointment of national football hero Samuel Eto’o as head of the Cameroon football federation is not enough to persuade Bamenda residents to back the national team.

“I think that it will be a very daunting task to get people to love the Indomitable Lions like we supported them in 1990,” he insists, alluding to the on-going war.

So will Cameroon beat Algeria for a place at the World Cup?

“I pray and I wish no.”

Cameroon’s unique colonial legacy

• Colonised by Germany in 1884
• British and French troops force Germans to leave in 1916
• Cameroon is split three years later – 80% goes to the French and 20% to the British
• French-run Cameroon becomes independent in 1960
• After a 1961 referendum, the British territory was divided. Southern Cameroons voted to join Cameroon, while Northern Cameroons joined English-speaking Nigeria

Culled from the BBC