The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have laid to rest the controversy that preceded the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

There was a heated debate of whether the match will be played at the Nest of Champions International Stadium in Uyo or not after the Super Eagles lost 0-2 to the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the stadium.

But the NFF who spoke through its Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire has confirmed the stadium as the venue for the encounter which will now be played on September 1.

Olajire told journalists yesterday in Abuja the issue of venue has been settled and that all the necessary stakeholders are being informed of the date and venue. He also assured that the federation is putting in place every necessary arrangement that will ensure that the Super Eagles who are leading their group with six maximum points will get the desired result when the defending African champions visit Nigeria.

“I want to confirm that the match against Cameroon will take place in Uyo on the September 1. Uyo has been a good ground for the Super Eagles irrespective of what happened in the last game against South Africa in the AFCON qualifier.

“Equally, I have to reassure all lovers of Nigerian football that the NFF is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that we defeat Cameroon because that will brighten our chances of qualifying for the World Cup” Olajire concluded.

Source: Vanguard

Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor have contacted free agent Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting according to reports in Turkey.

The German-born Cameroonian and Schalke could not agree terms over a new deal and subsequently saw his three-year stay at the Gelsenkirchen side come to an end.

Moting’s relationship with Schalke began in the summer of 2014 after he arrived on a free transfer from Mainz. He would go on to become a regular and appear 106 times and score 22 goals.

But according to the Turkish Daily Hurriyet, Akrepler have recently been in contact with the attacker over a possible switch.

The report further suggests that negotiations are at an advanced stage and could result in a transfer within the next few days which will see the 28-year-old line up next to Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o who is a household name at the Antalya Arena side.

Source: Goal.com

Ex international, Moses Kpakor has charged the Super Eagles Technical crew to work tirelessly to ensure that the team picks the three points against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Super eagles Nigeria are top of Group B of their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with six points after beating Zambia 2-1 and Algeria 3-1.

However, the senior national team faces an uphill task against the current African champions, Cameroon on August 30 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo before the reverse fixture four days later in Yaounde.

Kpakor believes that the Super Eagles have no choice but to overcome their Cameroonian counter-parts in a bid to brighten their chances of picking the automatic slot for the World Cup. “We have to beat Cameroon because the two games are a huge step towards our qualification for the World Cup.

“Yes, we can qualify and so far we stand the best chance in our group with six points, four points ahead of our nearest opponents. The coach should ensure we have our very best players in the next games wherever they are.”

“We all need to assure the players that they can qualify us for the World Cup and we have confidence in them because I believe that will help them a lot.”

Source: Vanguard

The high rating the Super Eagles enjoyed before their embarrassing defeat in the hands of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo last month has dropped. With the 2018 World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Cameroon approaching, the respect for the Indomitable Lions among Nigerian football fans is growing bigger. Cameroon’s performance at the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup – albeit unimpressive – gives Nigerians enough reason to worry. The Lions showed promise and with a few changes, particularly in the attack, the team can stand their own anywhere in the world.

While Cameroon coach, Hugo Broos participated in the 2017 AFCON – which they won – and the recently concluded FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, Rohr has been engaged in friendly matches and played only one competitive match – the loss against South Africa, since the victory over Algeria in November last year. Can Nigeria handle Cameroon? The question was put to former Nigeria international and U-17 World Cup winning coach, Emmanuel Amuneke. His answer was in the affirmative. “Yes, we can handle Cameroon by remaining focussed and believing in our ability. You also have to accept that the opponent you are playing is better than you. With that in mind one can fight one’s opponent with respect and the motivation to do battle.”

Amuneke said, “in the game against South Africa, the opponents were better tactically, individually and collectively. They knew each other very well and knew they were playing Nigeria, a very strong team. “What we need do is to sit down, analyse the last game and seek solutions to where we went wrong before the Cameroon match. Cameroon too has a lot of pedigree and any match involving Nigeria and Cameroon is always tough. Our players must have that in mind.” Veteran coach, Tunde Disu believes the Eagles need a more aggressive midfield. “Most of our midfielders are defensive minded. Mikel, Onazi, Ndidi are all defensive midfielders. We need more aggression from the midfield so that the attack can be given more bite.”

He also believes that with the expected return of Mikel Obi, Victor Moses and Leon Balogun the Coach Rohr-tutored team could pose a better force than the one against the Bafana Bafana. Veteran journalist and chairman of Akwa United, Paul Bassey said, “I align with those who say we can beat Bafana Bafana in South Africa only if we use the right calibre of players and do the right thing tactically. When we face Cameroon, we need our best legs. The coach must go for players who can stand the aggressive and tough-playing Cameroonians; not school boys, because playing Cameroon is not a child’s play. I believe we can beat the Indomitable Lions if the right decisions are made by the coaching staff and the players.”

Amuneke advised Nigerians to show more support to the Super Eagles. The team need mass support from Nigerians to excel. Support can actually motivate them. Fans should know they have a very important role to play in the quest to beat Cameroon and go to Russia 2018.” He said Nigeria is blessed with a good coach in Gernot Rohr. “We have a very good coach who has been doing a wonderful job. We have to support him and show him love.”

Source: Vanguard

If Germany retain the World Cup next year, then perhaps this was the night that laid the groundwork. Chile will ask themselves how they lost this Confederations Cup final after they missed a number of chances and let in Lars Stindl for the winning goal with a defensive slip. But it was a triumphant night for Joachim Low and a group of players he opted to test run this summer ahead of the bigger challenge in 2018; he now has 11 months to sift through a more battle-hardened set of options than any other international coach has at his disposal.

Chile started at a ferocious tempo and carved Germany open within five minutes. Excellent work from Arturo Vidal freed Charles Aranguiz but, with the midfielder poised to pull the trigger, Antonio Rudiger executed a perfect tackle. The ball stayed alive and Vidal’s low drive was kept out by the legs of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The early onslaught continued, Vidal and Eduardo Vargas both trying their luck. It was near-incessant pressure and in the 19th minute Alexis Sanchez missed a glorious chance. He seemed certain to convert after Ter Stegen parried from Vidal but, perhaps taking his eye off the ball, failed to make a clean contact.

Within seconds Sanchez was made to pay. Germany had barely laid a glove on Chile but took the lead with a gift of a goal, Marcelo Diaz allowing Timo Werner to rob him of possession just outside his own box. Werner squared to Stindl for the simplest of tap-ins; nobody could say this turn of events had seemed remotely likely.

It was a shock to Chile; they began to huff and puff, and Leon Goretzka might twice have doubled Germany’s lead before half-time. First the in-form Schalke player fired across goal from Sebastian Rudy’s smart pass, then he was denied well by Claudio Bravo after Julian Draxler had capitalised on another lapse.

Draxler, surging through before a lunging Gonzalo Jara deflected his shot wide, threatened 10 minutes into the second half and Germany looked more than capable of picking off their older opponents on the counter. Chile were becoming fractious and Jara received a let-off when, after appearing to elbow Werner, a lengthy VAR review led to nothing more than a yellow card.

Tempers raised even further when, 15 minutes from time, Sanchez went down in the box after colliding with Rudy. Vidal shot over from the loose ball but Chile’s players furiously claimed a penalty and urged referee Milorad Mazic to review using the VAR. To their disgust, he failed to oblige although more conventional replays suggested Sanchez did not have a case.

Chile rallied for one last push, Ter Stegen tipping wide from Aranguiz, and then they missed their final big chance. Substitute Angelo Sagal had a gaping net to fire into when fellow replacement Edson Puch squared past a committed Ter Stegen, but he blazed over and with that wayward finish went his side’s hopes.

Source: ESPNFC

Cameroon captain, Benjamin Moukandjo is confident that they will beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Cameroon and Nigeria face off in a doubleheader in August/September for the top spot in Group B of African qualifiers.

Cameroon are second in the group after two games with two points while Nigeria top with six points. The Indomitable Lions just left Russia, venue of next year’s FIFA World Cup where they played in the FIFA Confederation Cup.

“We showed that we’ve got quality, but obviously, we’ve still got work to do if we’re going to trouble the big boys,” Moukandjo told FIFA official website of Cameroon’s Confederation Cup results, losing to Chile and Germany and getting a draw against Australia all in the Group Stage. “We’ve got a young team that’s only just getting acquainted with international competitions.”

Moukandjo is confident that they can return to Russia next year for the FIFA World Cup at the expense of the Super Eagles. “We’ve now got a better idea of where we stand, which will help us come back stronger next year and target the World Cup with a lot more going for us,” he added.

Source: Vanguard

Announced everywhere since the beginning of the transfer window, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may eventually leave Europe. According to the authoritative German news magazine, Bild, the Dortmund striker is moving closer to a deal in China.

The Tianjin Quanjin seems to have decided to take out their heavy artillery in order to recruit the top scorer of the last Bundesliga season. Shu Yuhui, the rich president of the club, is ready to offer more than 80 million euros to the Borussia player.

The 28-year-old Gabonese international would be offered an annual salary of 30 million euros-an astronomical proposal that would make him the highest-paid player in the world, ahead of Ezequiel Lavezzi (27.5 million).

In eastern China, Aubameyang would evolve under the command of Fabio Cannavaro alongside Axel Wistsel and certainly Anthony Modeste if he is about to join the Tianjin club.

Camcordnews Desk

Cameroon need to improve their football infrastructure if they want to compete with the world’s top teams, coach Hugo Broos said following their Confederations Cup exit. Despite winning the African Nations Cup in February, Broos added that the five-times continental champions had to stop living on their past success and face reality.

Cameroon were knocked out of the tournament in Russia on Sunday after a 3-1 defeat to Germany left them with one point from three matches, an outcome which Broos said he had been expecting. The Indomitable Lions are also struggling to qualify for next year’s World Cup, having taken only two points from their first two games in African Group B to leave them four behind leaders Nigeria. Only the winners qualify.

“It was not a surprise for me. I always said after we won the Nations Cup that we are one of the best teams in Africa but there is still a difference between us and modern football,” Broos told reporters after Sunday’s defeat.
“We saw the proof that a lot of work still needs to be done… it is of course a quality issue, but it’s mostly a training issue,” the Belgian said. “There is a lot to be done on that front in Cameroon, we still live on our past successes.”

Broos, who was appointed in February last year after seeing the job advertised on the Cameroon federation’s website, has had to endure administrative problems during his 18 months in charge. Several top European-based players refused call-ups for the Nations Cup, either because they were angry at past experiences with the team or feared losing their places with their club sides.

In March, the team sat down for a meal at a hotel in Brussels ahead of a friendly against Guinea only to be told they could not eat because the bill had not been paid. They later lost the match 2-1. Broos noted that the Cameroon squad at the 2003 Confederations Cup had players based with “Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool” which was “no longer the case”. “I am not pointing the finger at any player, I’m just pointing to the training issues in Cameroon,” he said.

“There is a lack of pitches, there is a lack of infrastructure in the country which is why it is impossible in to train good footballers for modern football, so this is our main disadvantage. “If we do qualify for the World Cup next year, we are going to have to start thinking about solving this problem for the future.”

Soucre: DNA

The memory of Marc-Vivien Foe who died during the 2003 Confederations Cup remains in the hearts of Cameroonian players, says midfielder Arnaud Djoum. The African champions returned to the competition after a 14-years absence; the last time being when the sad incident occured.

Foe collapsed and died during Cameroon’s semi-final against Colombia in Lyon, with an autopsy later revealing that the 28-year-old suffered from the rare heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Djoum who now plays in the same position for the Indomitable Lions and wears the same jersey number late Foe wore revealed that the team carries the memory of the player with them as they compete in this year’s Confederations Cup.

“Our side, we also play for him because he was a really good person, a big player for our country and someone really important,” Djoum told Omnisport ahead of Cameroon’s final Group B game against Germany, where they must beat the world champions to have any chance of progressing.

“We try not to speak too much about it because it was a tragedy, but we know we are here also for him, for his family and for everybody. “So we try to show good football and performances for him. Of course, I was only young [when Foe played] but I looked up to him. He was a big player.”

Source: Vanguard

Australia and Cameroon played out a 1-1 stalemate at the Confederations Cup on Thursday that further dents both countries’ hopes of progressing in the eight-team tournament in Russia.

Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa had Cameroon ahead with the last touch of the first half, but a Mark Milligan penalty on the hour mark ensured a first point for both in Group B at the new Saint Petersburg Stadium.

Australia play Chile in Moscow on Sunday and Cameroon face off against Germany at the same time in Sochi in their final pool matches.

But the chances for both the African and Asian champions to finish in the top two and progress to the semifinals look slim after they lost their opening encounters at the start of the week.

Culled from DNA