Lavagne names his first Cameroon squad

Cameroon’s head coach Denis Lavagne has named a squad of 28 players for a series of friendly matches slated in November.

The Indomitable Lions will play against Sudan and Morocco in the LG Cup on before flying to Algiers for a friendly with the Desert Foxes of Algeria.

Lavagne has handed a first call up to Spain-based Allan Nyom. The 23-year-old defender was born in France and started his career at AS Nancy before moving to Arles-Avignon. He then moved to Udinese in Italy which  loaned  him to Spanish Primera Liga side Granada FC.

Tunisia based defender Yaya Banana has also been offered a first senior call-up. He was part of the Junior Lions team that reached the U-20 World Cup quarter-finals this year.

The squad released on Thursday includes mainly players based out of Cameroon, except goalkeeper Jean Efala of Fovu Baham. Cameroon’s league is yet to kick-off for a new season.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Georges Mandjeck and Somen Tchoyi who were absent from Javier Clemente’s recent lists, have all been recalled. But there was no place for Sebastien Bassong.

Media reports in Cameroon say Lavagne will hold a news conference in Yaounde on Friday. He’ll use to opportunity to discuss his plans with the team and also explain his team selection.

Here’s the full list:

1. Guy Roland NDY ASSEMBE, AS Nancy-Lorraine, France
2. Idriss Carlos KAMENI, RCD Espanyol Barcelonea, Spain
3. Jean EFALA KOMGUEP, Fovu de Baham, Cameroon
4. Benoît ANGBWA, FK Anzi Makachkala, Russia
5. Allan NYOM, Granada FC, Spain
6. Nicolas NKOULOU, Olympique de Marseille, France
7. Aurélien CHEDJOU, Lille Olympique SC, France
8. Georges MANDJECK, Stade Renais, France
9. Dany NOUKEU, Gaziantesport,Turkey
10. YAYA BANANA, Espérance de Tunis, Tunisia
11. Benoît ASSOU-EKOTTO, Tottenham Hotspurs, England
12. Gaetan BONG, FC Valenciennes, France
13. Henri BEDIMO, Montpellier, France
14. Joël MATIP, Schalke 04, Germany
15. Alexandre SONG, Arsenal, England
16. Eyong TARKANG ENOH, Ajax Amsterdam, Holland
17. Landry NGUEMO, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, France
18. Benjamin MOUKANDJO, AS Nancy-Lorraine, France
19. Jean II MAKOUN, Olympiakos, Greece
20. Edgard SALLI, AS Monaco, France
21. SOMEN à TCHOYI, West Bromwich Albion, England
22. ANDONGCHO MBUTA, SC Dinamo Bucarest, Rumania
23. Jacques ZOUA, FC Basel, Switzerland
24. Samuel ETO’O, FK Anzi Mackachkala,Russia
25. Vincent ABOUBAKAR, FC Valenciennes, France
26. Eric Maxim CHOUPO-MOTING,FSV Mainz 05, Germany
27. Léonard KWEUKE, AS Spartak Prague, Czech Republic
28. Bienvenue NTSAMA, Fenerbache, Turkey

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Cameroon Weekend Review: Matip Scores, Eto’o off to Russia

Cameroon’s Joel Matip scored on Sunday (21 August) for his club in the German Bundesliga but that hasn’t made headlines in a weekend where the name Cameroon has mainly been associated to Samuel Eto’o's big money move to Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkal.

Eto’o will certainly keep making the headlines in the coming week, as he finally signs the contract that would see him earn 20 million euros and become the world’s best-paid footballer. But we prefer to focus on the Cameroon internationals who have been in action across Europe.

Eto'o (9), Bedimo (12), Chedjou (14) are mentioned in this week's review

German Bundesliga:

Joel Matip contributed to Shalke 04′s fantastic come-back from two goals down to beat Mainz 4-2 on Sunday. Matip started as one of the two central midfielders in Shalke’s 4-2-3-1 formation. He scored the third goal for Shalke at the 81st minute of play. Cameroon’s head coach Javier Clemente who has consistently refused to select Matip says the youngster is not mobile enough and is more for the future than the present.

Eric Maxim Choupo Moting came on as a second half substitute for Mainz but he was not able to repeat last week’s performance where he scored for his new club. However, Cameroon national team coaches should be happy to see him having regular game time.

Marcel Ndjeng started and played 83 minutes for Augusburg in their 2-0 defeat to Hoffenheim. Ndjeng has not been called up for the Lions since the 1-1 draw with the DRC in October 2010.

France: 

Nicolas Nkoulou played the full 90 minutes at the heart of Olympic Marseille’s defence in their goalless draw with AS St.Etienne. He was calm and assured and made some good long passes to his strike partners.

Henri Bedimo started at leftback for Montpellier when they beat Rennes 4-0 to go top of the French Ligue 1 standings. Georges Mandjeck started in central midfield for Rennes and played the whole game. Mandjeck last featured for the Lions as a second-half substitute against Senegal in Dakar last March.

Moukandjo Bile started his first game for Nancy this weekend after a move from Monaco at the start of the week. Nancy lost 1-2 to Sochaux and Moukandjo was substituted after an hour. He was replaced by another Cameroonian – Alo’o Efoulou who has not been selected for the Lions for about 18 months.

Lille beat Caen 2-1 with Aurelien Chedjou playing at right-back for the French Champions. Chedjou has been playing in central midfield for Cameroon since the World Cup in South Africa but normally plays as a central defender for Lille. For how long would he be deployed at right-back and how would that affect his game?

Landry Nguemo started as the sole holding midfielder in Bordeaux’s diamond formation as they drew 1-1 with Auxerre. Gaetan Bong played at left-back for Valencienne in their 1-2 defeat away to Paris St. Germain.

Switzerland: 

Henri Bienvenue Tsama came on at half-time but could not save his Young Boys Berne side from a 2-0 defeat in the hands of FC Thun. Chris Mbondi, U-20 international, came on as a 49th minute substitute for FC Sion as they beat Lausanne Sport 2-0.

England: 

Somen Tchoyi started again as a second striker for West Bromwich Albion against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday. The Cameroonian worked very hard but his team were beaten 2-1 by their West London hosts. Tchoyi was substituted after 75 minutes.

George Elokobi came on as a very late substitute (90th minute) for Wolverhampton Wanderers as they beat Fulham 2-0.

Aston Villa defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-1 but Cameroon’s Jean Makoun watched from the bench throughout the game. Alex Song started his 3 match ban after stamping on Joey Barton last week and was thus absent from Arsenal’s 0-2 defeat to Liverpool.

This Monday Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong’s Tottenham Hotspur travel to Manchester to face the Premier League Champions. (We’ll update once the game is over).

[An audio review of Cameroonian performances in Europe is available of you click here]

Cameroon’s Tchoyi Commended but Manchester United beat West Brom

Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson has praised the Cameroon international Somen Tchoyi for giving the reigning English Champions a tough test in their 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion (WBA) on Sunday.

“The lad Tchoyi gave us a bit of trouble,” Ferguson said after the match.

The 1.90m Tchoyi, playing as a support striker, worked the United defence for long spells in the game as he tussled with central defenders Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand and imposed himself physically.

Somen on the right of this photo warms-up before a Cameroon game

He started the move that led to WBA’s equaliser by overpowering United’s young Brazilian fullback Fabio to recover lost possession at the edge of the Champions’ 18-yard. His strike partner Shane Long then finished the move with a shot that should have been stopped on another day by United’s keeper, David De Gea.

Tchoyi also impressed with his good –short and long range – passing and his willingness to take on defenders using speed and tricky dribbles.

The tactics used by Roy Hodgson, the WBA manager, allowed the Cameroonian to drop into his natural central midfield position and come from deep to occupy the space between the lone striker and the other midfielders in order to dictate play. He was also free to go wide to whip in crosses.

The former Liverpool manager praised both his attackers for putting pressure on United and regretted that they lost the game.

“I thought his (Long’s) performance in general was very good as was Tchoyi’s,” Hodgson said after the game.

It’s unfortunate that most Indomitable Lions managers have hardly thought of playing Tchoyi as an attacking central midfielder or a second striker which are (in my opinion) the positions where he is most effective. He is often used as a winger or wide attacker (in a front three).

Song Stamps Reputation

The former Union Douala player’s performance certainly paints a better picture of Cameroonian footballers than the temperamental display from Alex Song for Arsenal in their goalless draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.

Song played admirably well as a midfield sweeper in-front of Arsenal’s back-four but for some reason decided to stamp on Joey Barton after a challenge. Barton may not be most people’s best friend  (as confirmed by his role in the confrontation that led to Ivory Coast’s Gervinho being sent-off) but there was absolutely no excuse for Song to stamp on the Englishman’s leg.

The defensive midfielder who hasn’t played for Cameroon since the 2010 World Cup may be suspended if the English Football Association decides to use video evidence against him.

Meanwhile, George Elokobi came on as a late substitute for Wolverhampton Wanderers in their 2-1 away win over Blackburn Rovers.

The other Cameroonians operating in the English Premier League were absent on the first day of the new season. Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto could not play because Tottenham’s fixture against Everton was postponed following rioting in London.  Jean Makoun was left on the bench by Aston Villa in the Birmigham club’s goalless draw with Fulham.