Chinese football on Thursday imposed a salary cap of 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) a year for domestic players and vowed to kick teams out for so-called “yin-yang contracts”.

The swingeing measures are part of a ramped-up effort by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) to clamp down on big spending and get teams to toe a tougher financial line.

There will also be a limit on bonuses and other financial inducements for domestic players, according state sports channel CCTV5, reporting on an end-of-season CFA conference in Shanghai.

Foreign players are not affected by the salary cap, which will be in place for the new Chinese Super League (CSL) season when it starts in the spring.

Among a raft of other measures, teams must submit contracts for their players and coaches by the end of the year as part of a crackdown on “yin-yang contracts”.

Such contracts — one for the tax man and another with the real value of the agreement — are thought to be widespread in football and showbusiness in China.

If the CFA uncovers any tax-avoidance schemes, the offending player or coach face a ban of between one and three years. Their clubs can be deducted points or even kicked out the league.

Two years ago, Brazilian attacking midfielder Oscar joined CSL side Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea for an Asian-record 60 million euros and Argentine forward Carlos Tevez signed for rivals Shanghai Shenhua, both earning some of the highest wages in world football.

Their high-profile arrivals, along with dozens of other foreign stars such as Brazilians Hulk and Paulinho, triggered fears that Chinese clubs were distorting the international transfer market with overinflated wages and fees.

But the CFA has since moved to stop the splurge and force teams to focus on youth development instead, and there is unlikely to be serious money spent when the winter transfer window opens on January 1.

“The association will draw on the experience of advanced overseas leagues to design comprehensive measures to control high wages, high bonuses, high transfer fees and other issues,” Li Yuyi, CFA vice chairman, said earlier this week, according to Xinhua news agency.

Li added: “If there’s only investment but no clear idea of what the long-term returns are, Chinese football is not sustainable.

“Companies (who own teams) need to understand why invest, what are the rewards and what it contributes to society.”

 AFP

President George Weah is indeed one of the most successful soccer players to come from Africa, but there are not enough pieces of information out there about his playing days in Liberia.

A situation veteran sports journalist Omari Jackson, who is now an editor at the Daily Observer newspaper is trying to solve in his upcoming biography of the president, titled the “Untold Story of President Weah.”

The book, which is expected to be out early next year revealed that the first semi-professional contract President signed in the 1980s, with Tonnerre Klara Club of Yaounde of Cameroon was intended for James Salinsa Debbah, but the Liberian all-time high goalscorer turned down the opportunity on three different occasions before it went to George Oppong Weah which he gladly accepted.

Jackson writes that Mohammad Konneh, a Liberian with a Cameroonian mother was disappointed that Debbah had turned down the offer, which was apparently because of the love and acceptance that Liberian soccer fans had for him, including President Samuel Doe.

“I have tried for at least three times to get the boy to agree to play in Cameroon without success. I want you to help me find a quality striker,” Konneh was reported to have pleaded.

“Mr. Konneh,” Mr. Jackson said with some warmth, “since from your experience it does not seem that Salinsa is interested in these series of invitations, could you give it to Oppong (George Weah)? After all, he is the next upcoming player with a future.”

Fortunately, Jackson was able to meet President Weah between the corner of Carey and Gurley Street and told him about the opportunity which he gladly accepted.

“Hello, Oppong.”

“Hello Jackson,” Weah said.

“We have a friend who has just returned from Cameroon with an invitation for you to play a semi-professional soccer career in Cameroon. My man, you are already our wizard dribbler and that you can make it in Cameroon,” Jackson writes in the forthcoming book.

Responding to Jackson’s appeal, Oppong (now president) said: “I am ready to play in Cameroon.”

The positive response from President Weah was enough to motivate Jackson who used his influence and had the Liberia Football Association to invite Tonnerre Klara Club of Yaounde to form part of its 50th-anniversary celebration since the club had interest in the president.

After the 50th-anniversary soccer game, Jackson discloses that President Weah was able to seal the deal with the Cameroon giant, making him the first Liberian player to sign a semi-professional contract.

Complication

Upon his return to Liberia to finalize his trip to Cameroon, Jackson in the book, “Untold Story of President Weah” unveiled a situation that almost destroyed the president’s emerging soccer career.

The problem was a result of strong interest from Simplice Zenzou, an Ivorian soccer lover who was then the owner of the Africa Sports FC who offered President Weah a much better contract to play for his club.

“Weah’s brief meeting with Zenzou created a problem. He had signed a contract in Cameroon for three years, and all of a sudden, the Zenzous boys’ offer came, something which he could not refuse,” Jackson writes.

Fully aware of the consequence of what could have happened if President Weah failed to fulfill his contract with the Cameroonian club, Jackson and journalists (Mozart Dennis and Bana Sackey), took upon themselves to intervene in the situation through Josiah N. Johnson and Sam Burnette Jr., invincible Eleven’s godfather back then.

From that meeting, Johnson and Burnette Jr., went on to convince President Weah to turn down the deal from Africa Sports and keep his bargain with TKC, which he gladly did, Jackson writes.

Debbah and Weah rivalry

The two first cousins have been an internal rivalry from day one of their playing days for IE and Mighty Barrolle respectively in Liberia.

Such rivalry, according to Jackson gained momentum during a particular tournament, style Who Owns the Land where Debbah scored two last-minute goals to help his team Barrolle to defeat President Weah team IE 3-2.

Debbah’s performance from that game earned him the title “The Miracle Man,” a name that Jackson says came as a result of the striker’s exceptional ability to score crucial goals when they were needed.

The helpers who are unknown

President Weah during his playing days in Liberia was supported by lots of people financially and morally some of whom are unknown to the public.

Some of these people, Jackson revealed were Tonia Klay, Lydia Jones, S. Izetta Wesley, D. Sheba Brown and Kadiattu Diara (later Mrs. Findley) who once served as president of Invincible Eleven Majestic Sports Association.

Other strong supporters of President Weah, according to Jackson were Archibald Bernard, former President of IE, now legal adviser to the President and Burnette Jr.

Jackson writes that both men, unlike their Mighty Barrolle counterparts, were willing to let their star player seek greener pasture abroad despite fans protest.

Jackson’s forthcoming book, the “Untold Story of President Weah” provides an in-depth account of the president’s football days in Liberia and shined lights on the role many people supported his effort to get him where he is today. This book answers my questions about President Weah’s playing days in Liberia since the author carefully observed the events that surrounded him and the journey he took from Liberia.

There are other interesting issues that have never appeared anywhere else that Jackson reveals that demonstrates that President Weah’s story is an inspiration any young footballer can peruse for their own progress.

“I’m expecting this book to be out very soon. Hopefully by February of next year, but that will depend on the kind of publishing deal I get,” says Jackson.

Source: Daily Observer

Luka Modric ended the long reign of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the Ballon d’Or for the first time on Monday, while another first saw Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg win the inaugural women’s trophy.

Messi and Ronaldo had won every Ballon d’Or since 2008, and usually fought only each other for the greatest recognition among soccer’s elite. Women’s fight for recognition on the biggest stage took a big step with Hegerberg’s award.

Modric won the Champions League with Real Madrid and then guided Croatia to the World Cup final in July. The midfielder was voted player of the tournament. “As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies,” Modric said. “The Ballon d’Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honor and a privilege to hold this trophy.”

Ronaldo was second in the polling followed by France forward Antoine Griezmann. France’s teen star, Kylian Mbappe, was fourth. Brazil star Neymar was third last year but only 12th this time. Messi was fifth in the voting, having been runner-up to Ronaldo the past two years and in the top three every year since 2007. Modric had never previously been in the top three.

“2018 is a dream year for me,” the 33-year-old Modric said. “Throughout my career I realized hard work, persistence and belief in yourself in difficult moments are the foundations of success.” Modric’s father was shown on the big screen wiping away tears during the ceremony at the imperious Grand Palais in Paris.

Ronaldo missed out on a record sixth award, which would have moved him one ahead of Messi. The last player to win it before those two started dominating world soccer awards was Brazil midfielder Kaka with AC Milan in 2007.

Ronaldo also won the Champions League last season with Modric, before leaving to join Juventus. He scored a hat trick against Spain at the World Cup but he failed to make an impression when Portugal lost to Uruguay in the round of 16.

Mbappe and Griezmann scored in the 4-2 World Cup final win against Croatia. Mbappe earned a domestic treble with Paris Saint-Germain. Griezmann also scored twice for Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final win against Marseille.

France coach Didier Deschamps said a France player should have won the award. “They deserve it because of what they did with the national team at the World Cup and also because of the trophies they won with their clubs,” Deschamps said.

The 19-year-old Mbappe   the youngest player since Pelé to score in a World Cup final   won the Raymond Kopa Trophy awarded to the best young player. France Football magazine has been awarding the Ballon d’Or since 1956, and created a women’s award for the first time this year.

Hegerberg is a three-time Women’s Champions League winner with French side Lyon and scored a tournament-record 15 times last season. “I want to say thanks to France Football. It’s a huge step for women’s football,” Hegerberg said. “I want to end this speech with a message to all young girls in the world. Believe in yourselves.”

The outspoken 23-year-old Hegerberg said she won’t play for Norway at the Women’s World Cup in France next June. Taking a stand against what she describes as a lack of respect for female players in Norway, she hasn’t played for the national team since 2017 when it crashed out of the group stage of the Women’s European Championship without scoring a goal.

Speaking in an interview shortly before collecting her Ballon d’Or, Hegerberg told The Associated Press on Monday she has no plans to reconsider her decision taken to preserve her “authenticity and my values, as a person, as a footballer.”

“A lot of things need to be done to make the conditions better for women who play football,” she said. “It’s all about how we respect women’s football. I don’t think the respect has been there. “Sometimes you have to take tough decisions to stay true to yourself. I let them know, quite clearly, what I found wasn’t working.”

(AP)

Cameroon has significantly beefed up national security ahead of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be hosted by the country, a joint security inspection mission of Confederation of African Football (CAF) and world football governing body FIFA told reporters here on Thursday.

The mission made the remarks after spending five days inspecting the security in airports, hotels, hospitals, stadiums and road infrastructures in the country.

“We have taken stock (of the security measures). We noticed that there is a great mobilization of the defense forces all over. For the moment, we have taken note,” Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, head of the mission and president of Niger Football Association, said at the close of the five-day visit.

“We have also noticed a few faults and advised that there should be adjustments.”

On Monday, Cameroon’s Minister of Defense assured the mission that “all necessary security measures” have been taken to ensure a hitch-free competition in the country next year.

AFCON 2019 will be held from June 15 to July 13, according to CAF. It will also be the first AFCON expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

Source: Xinhua

Now that you are here

The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons.  The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.

The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers.    However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization.  It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.

Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15

Swift BIC BARC GB22XX

SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK

The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.

Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com

The fallout of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has spread even to sport, drawing rare scrutiny on a soft power tool that Gulf monarchies have brandished with zeal.

Sport has become a strategic pillar of the House of Saud’s global PR mission. So it was only a matter of time before the pressure would extend to Saudi investments in sport. Football, an immensely popular game in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom, was the first to experience the fallout of the Khashoggi scandal. Last weekend, Amnesty International called on two top Italian clubs, Juventus and AC Milan, to boycott the Italian Super Cup, set to take place in Saudi Arabia in January. The deal to allow the kingdom to host three of the next five editions of the star-studded Supercoppa was only agreed over the summer.

Amnesty’s appeal followed a similar plea from Italian former sports minister Luca Lotti. On his Facebook page, the Tuscany lawmaker urged Italian football authorities to reconsider their decision to play the games in the kingdom “to ensure that Italian football does not shy away from the defence of rights and values”.

Rescinding the arrangement with Saudi Arabia, however, would come with consequences for the Italians, not least financially. According to Italian media, the deal sealed in June is worth about €7 million.

While appeals to cancel sporting events in the wake of the Saudi journalist’s killing may have elicited public soul-searching among some of the athletes involved, they are likely to be balanced against economic imperatives. Exactly a month after Khashoggi’s brutal murder, the lucrative international events on the kingdom’s sporting calendar remain, for now, largely intact.

The debate has also spread to tennis. Superstars Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic couldn’t escape questions about the controversy last weekend in Paris.

“Of course I’m aware of the situation. But I had a commitment since one year ago to play there. And my team is talking to them, to analyse things,” the Spaniard said in Paris. “It’s terrible that one journalist lost [his] life. I know something happened very bad inside there. So we are looking about how evolves the situation and I hope the things will clarify as soon as possible.”

Djokovic struck a similar tone. While insisting the commitment was made more than a year ago, the Serbian star allowed that the situation is “sad”. “My team right now is in touch with the people in Saudi Arabia as well as Rafa’s and of course we are all talking to understand the situation better,” he said. “We have to get more information on what’s happening so we can make a rational decision whether it’s good to go or not.”

Bowing out of the Jeddah clash would immediately deprive each player of his promised million-dollar bonus, not to mention any medium-term knock-on effects of reneging on the agreement.

Those two high-profile competitions may be just the tip of the iceberg. Although the Argentina-Brazil football friendly held last month in the Gulf state managed to escape controversy, other major events with long-term contracts are poised to go ahead in the weeks and months to come.

First up among those is the “Crown Jewel”, a professional wrestling show organised by the all-powerful World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in Riyadh went ahead Friday even as the organising body expressed a measure of regret in its statement confirming its participation.

The decision to go ahead with the Riyadh wrestling showcase has not been met with universal approval, however. Mention of the Crown Jewel even elicited boos from a WWE audience at an event in the US, as British comedian John Oliver pointed out to laughs on his US television show.

Moreover, two of the wrestling circuit’s stars pulled out of Friday’s show. John Cena and Daniel Bryan were written out of the scripted event’s storyline and replaced by other performers. Although neither has made his reasons for withdrawing explicit, Cena’s alleged misgivings about appearing in Riyadh had been widely reported.

Other sporting competitions have, too, ruled out reconsidering their calendars, for now. Golf’s European Tour this week confirmed the addition of a first Saudi International event to its schedule – at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City from January 31 to February 3 – the first event in a three-year commitment made last spring.

The same goes for motorsport in the kingdom, with Formula E due to hold its first Riyadh race, the electric racing championship’s season opener, on December 15. “Referring to the incident, we obviously have no comment to make,” Formula E chief Alejandro Agag told the Associated Press on October 15. “At this moment, there are no plans to change the Formula E calendar this season. Of course, we are monitoring [the situation].”

Source: France 24

Now that you are here

The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons.  The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.

The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers.    However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization.  It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.

Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15

Swift BIC BARC GB22XX

SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK

The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.

Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com