TheNewsGuru

Tag: Cameroon

  • Starving Boko Haram terrorists abduct 18 in Cameroon, steal foodstuffs

    Several security sources on Friday said eighteen civilians have been kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram in raids in Cameroon’s Far North region.

    Sources said the terrorists stormed several localities of the region, looted foodstuffs, and abducted 18 men and women.

    According to local authorities, the Cameroon army is conducting a rescue mission to secure the safe release of the hostages.

    The Army also said that on Thursday, Boko Haram killed 4 civilians in the Far North region.

    About 2,000 Cameroonians have been killed since Boko Haram since 2014, according to security reports.

    Also from Cameroon came the report that 122 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered, since January 2019 till now.

    Fai Yengo, national coordinator Cameroon’s National Committee on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR) said on Thursday that 130 separatists in the country’s troubled two English-speaking regions have also surrendered.

    Yengo made the revelation during a briefing with Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.

    He said the ex-fighters were at NCDDR centres to receive vocational training in agriculture, livestock, business and handicraft.

    The NCDDR was created by President Paul Biya last year “to avoid the use of extreme measures” and supervise and manage the disarmament and reintegration of ex-combatants of Boko Haram and armed separatists in the Anglophone regions

  • Ex-Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o retires after glittering 22-year career

    Ex-Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o retires after glittering 22-year career

    Ex-Barcelona and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o has announced his retirement from football at the age of 38.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after a trophy-laden 22-year playing career, Eto’o has decided to hang up his boots.

    Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest-ever players, Eto’o will be most fondly remembered for his time at Barcelona, where he won four La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.

    After five years at Barca, he joined Inter Milan in 2009. While at Inter Milan, Eto’o won the treble under the guidance of Jose Mourinho that included a third European Cup win.

    Short spells in the Premier League soon followed, with Chelsea and Everton among the 13 professional teams Eto’o represented during his memorable playing career.

    On the international scene, he was the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup after making Cameroon squad at the age of 17.

    Eto’o claimed gold at the 2000 Olympics as well as two Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002 with four African Player of the Year crowns – a record he shares with Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure.

    Eto’o also represented Cameroon at four World Cups, ending up with 56 goals in 118 appearances for his country.

    In a short Instagram message on Friday night though, he announced that he would be hanging up his boots.

    He wrote: “The End. Towards a new challenge. Thank you all, big love.”

    Having spent his youth career at Kadji Sports Academy, Eto’o joined Real Madrid where he was loaned to Leganes, Espanyol, and Mallorca.

    From then his career really took off and started to blossom.

    Overall, Eto’o bagged himself 359 goals in 718 club games.

    His best return came at Barcelona, where he scored 130 goals in 199 appearances in all competitions.

  • Barca appoint Kluivert after Cameroon sack

    Former Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert has rejoined the La Liga club as director of the academy.

    Kluivert, 43, has signed a two-year contract at Barca’s La Masia youth system after being fired as Cameroon assistant coach earlier this month.
    He scored 145 goals in 308 appearances over six seasons at the Nou Camp, winning one La Liga title.
    Kluivert, who won 79 caps for the Netherlands, told Barcelona’s website he was “happy to be back home”.
    “I’m looking forward to this new era, with the challenge of keeping Barca among the top teams in the world.”
    The Dutchman, who scored 40 goals for his country, started his career at Ajax where he became the youngest scorer in a Champions League final as an 18-year-old.
    “I grew up at the Ajax academy, which is very similar to La Masia, and I think I can do a lot for the development of young Barca players,” he said.

  • HORRIFIC: 30 bus passengers kidnapped

    HORRIFIC: 30 bus passengers kidnapped

    About 30 bus passengers were abducted by Cameroon’s armed separatists on Friday along Fundong-Bamenda highway in the Northwest.
    The area is one of the two war-torn English-speaking regions of Cameroon.
    “Three transport buses left Fundong for Bamenda and were stopped at Belo by armed separatists,” Samuel Nkwain, a driver who witnessed the incident, told Xinhua.
    “All passengers were ordered to step down and hand over their identification cards. They were then taken to the bush to an unknown destination. There are still with them right now,” said Nkwain.
    Locals interviewed by Xinhua said the abduction followed in-fighting between armed groups in the area.
    “The other group was angry that another group collected their weapons and refused to hand over to them, so they say they are holding the passengers hostage until the weapons are handed over to them,” a local resident, who asked not to be named, told Xinhua.
    Movement along the highway has been halted and the search for the hostages has been launched, according to local authorities.
    Cases of kidnapping are on the rise amid escalating conflict in the troubled English-speaking regions of the largely French-speaking African country.
    The United Nations estimates that more than 430,000 people have been displaced internally since government forces started clashing with armed separatists in November 2017.

  • 2019 AFCON: Buhari salutes Super Eagles for beating Cameroon

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Super Eagles of Nigeria for making progress in the ongoing African Cup of Nations 2019 in Egypt, after a delightful win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Saturday, Buhari acknowledged the hardwork, team spirit and sportsmanship the Eagles had exhibited in the tournament.
    The president said such virtues were good signs for a team destined to excel, but added however, that there were more hurdles to scale before lifting the trophy.
    He urged the team and their handlers to remain focused and determined and assured them of the fervent prayers and support of all Nigerians.
    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria ousted holders and bitter rivals Cameroon from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations as they scored twice in three minutes to come from behind to win a thrilling last-16 match 3-2 on Saturday.
    Odion Ighalo gave Nigeria a 19th-minute lead but Cameroon hit back with two goals in quick succession before halftime from Stephane Bahoken and Clinton Njie to take a 2-1 lead.
    Ighalo levelled again for Nigeria in the 63rd minute amid suspicions of offside before Alex Iwobi snatched the winner for the jubilant Super Eagles three minutes later.
    The win earned Nigeria a quarter-final against hosts Egypt or South Africa who play later on Saturday.

  • Nigeria v Cameroon: Battle of wingless Eagles and clawless Lions

    Nigeria v Cameroon: Battle of wingless Eagles and clawless Lions

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on defending champions Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in one of the Round of 16 matches on Saturday at the ongoing 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
    The game which sees the five-time champions take on three-times champions Nigeria in the scorching heat of Alexandria can best be described as a battle of wingless Eagles facing clawless Lions.
    Such a description cannot be faulted, especially as the Super Eagles have not been “super’’ at the competition so far, even when they were winning against Burundi and Cameroon.
    Equally, the Lions have looked very less likely to dominate, even appearing vulnerable as they struggled against Benin Republic and Ghana.
    However, it is the expectation of many Nigeria football fans that the Eagles will show their true self and go on to devour the clawless Lions.
    Of course, they will not forget in a hurry how Cameroon defeated Nigeria in the final of the AFCON in 1984, 1988 and 2000.
    But more painful was that agonising penalty shoot-out loss in front of home fans at the National Stadium in Lagos on Feb. 13, 2000.
    However, most recently and in the 2018 FIFA World Cup African qualifying series, the Super Eagles thrashed the Lions 4-0 in Uyo and were forced to a 1-1 draw in Yaounde.
    Beyond this and the bragging rights, the Super Eagles are expected to pick themselves up from Sunday’s embarrassing loss to debutants Madagascar and go all out for victory.
    Now is time for Eagles’ coach Gernot Rohr, who has been criticised for not having a consistent line -up at the competition, to take some hard decisions and change tactics to win the game.
    Team captain Mikel Obi who had a knock in the last game will surely miss the game, with Alex Iwobi replacing him.
    Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo should be part of the starting line-up to complete the diamond defensive shield in the midfield.
    The Super Eagles have always thrived on fast movements from the wings, with effective ability to convert defence to attack through the channels.
    Ex-international Mutiu Adepoju told NAN, while previewing the match, that Nigeria must change tactics and improve on its transition from midfield to attack.
    He said this was necessary to break down the stubborn Cameroon defence which has not conceded in the tournament.
    “In our next match, we need to do better in our transitional play. We must move the ball faster from defence to midfield and attack.
    “We need to have the ability to surprise our opponents and not to be very predictable,” Adepoju said.
    With this said, South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi is expected to return to goal while Kenneth Omeruo who has been outstanding should also return to partner William Troost-Ekong in central defence.
    Ahmed Musa, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu or Henry Onyekuru will be expected to use their pace and trickery on the flanks.
    Such is needed to supply Odion Igahlo with the finish the Eagles need to break down the rugged Cameroonian defence.
    But one important ingredient to success is timely and apt substitutions, and that is one major attribute which distinguishes a good tactician.
    This is in his ability to read the game and make effective substitutions when things are not going right in the game, and Rohr must therefore up the ante in this regard.
    Bitrus Bewarang, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has nonetheless praised the coach for his substitutions in the first game against Burundi.
    But he also called for more effective changes, especially in the competition’s knockout stage.
    On the other hand, the Indomitable Lions have failed to impress in the defence of their AFCON title so far with just one victory from three matches.
    Clarence Seedorf’s men failed to win or score in their last two fixtures but have a very resolute defence that has not conceded so far in the tournament.
    Team captain Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has had a disappointing outing in Egypt so far, failing to find the net after three appearances.
    But the striker is still expected to start in attack alongside Karl Toko Ekambi, who is also seeking his first goal in the competition.
    While this makes the Indomitable Lions to appear unpredictable, Nigerians will be hoping that Rohr will get his starting line -up right.
    He will be expected to effect the necessary substitutions immediately things are not going according to plan, so as to scale the Indomitable Lions’ hurdle and give Nigerians victory on Saturday.

  • 2019 AFCON: Cameroon to face Nigeria in round of 16

    2019 AFCON: Cameroon to face Nigeria in round of 16

    Holders Cameroon played out their second successive 0-0 draw at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when they were held by Benin on Tuesday.
    The draw means they finished second in their group and must face neighbours Nigeria in the round of 16.
    The result, in another disappointing Group F match, also meant that Benin qualified for the knockout stages as they made it past the group stage of the competition for the first time at the fourth attempt.
    Cameroon finished with five points but were edged into second place on goals scored by Ghana who beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0.
    Benin, who drew all of their matches, finished with three points and their goal difference of zero was enough to ensure they will finish as one of the four best third-placed teams.
    Cameroon’s Yaya Banana was closest to breaking the deadlock when he headed against the crossbar in the 82nd minute but, overall, it was another uninspiring performance from the Indomitable Lions.

  • Cameroon soccer team delays departure for AFCON over pay dispute

    Cameroon’s soccer team has refused to leave their hotel to board a flight to the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt because of a players’ pay dispute, a team spokeswoman said on Friday.

    The reigning champions are set to start the tournament on June 25 in a match against Guinea-Bissau, but the players did not appear for their flight on Thursday evening amid a spat over bonus payments.

    “The Lions are still in Yaounde. They did not agree with their managers on the amount of their premiums,” the spokeswoman told Reuters.

    Pay disputes before major competitions are not unusual for African soccer federations who often do not have sufficient resources to pay their players high sums.

    Nigeria and Ghana have experienced similar problems in recent World Cups.

    Ministry of sports spokesman Gabriel Nloga said the players had each been paid a bonus of 20 million CFA francs (27,364.33 pounds). A source at Cameroon’s soccer federation said the players had asked for twice that.

    Two sources close to the negotiations said they expected the team to leave Cameroon later on Friday after the ministry of sport agreed to pay each player a 5 million CFA franc bonus after their first tournament victory.

    Cameroon has a rich soccer history, with both male and female teams taking part in a number of past World Cups.

    The women’s team was one of three African teams to qualify for the World Cup taking place in France.

    They reached the last 16 on Thursday after a 2-1 win over New Zealand.

    But the Central African country was last year stripped of its right to host the 2019 Nations Cup, due to delays in preparations for the tournament and security concerns.

    The Cup kicks off later on Friday with an opening match between Egypt and Zimbabwe in Cairo.

  • World Cup: Netherlands thrash Cameroon, second loss in a row

    World Cup: Netherlands thrash Cameroon, second loss in a row

    Cameroon are now effectively out of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after being thrashed 3-1 by Netherlands.

    They also lost their first match against Canada 0-1 on 10 June.

    Although the Indomitable Lionesses put up a good fight in the match at Stade du Hainaut, equalising before the end of the first half, they were unable to stop the Dutch women, who have now qualified for the Round of 16.

    Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene scored for Cameroon on 43rd minute to cancel Vivianne Miedema’s 41st minute goal.

    Miedema made it a brace in 85th minute to add to the Dutch goal tally after Dominique Bloodworth had put them ahead in the 48th minute.

    Onguene almost equalised for the Cameroonians in the 81st minute, after a brilliant run, but Dutch midfielder Spitse diverted the goalbound shot out for a corner.

    With her brace, Miedema who will turn 23 in July has now scored 60 goals for the Netherlands.

  • OIC pledges support for fight against terrorism, organised crime in Nigeria, Cameroon, others

    The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) says it will support countries of the Sahel region, particularly Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, by building their defence and security forces to counter terrorism and combat organised crime.

    In a communiqué on Saturday at the end of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference held at Makkah, Saudi Arabia, OIC called on member states to support the G-5 Sahel countries in their efforts to fight terrorism and ensure development.

    The conference also expressed its full solidarity with Lake Chad Basin countries, namely Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, which had continue to face grave security challenges and vicious insurgency arising from the violent Boko Haram extremism and terrorism.

    The conference also requested the Council of Foreign Ministers to upgrade the OIC regional humanitarian office in Niamey to a regional representative mission to mobilize political commitment and undertake development and humanitarian activities.

    It called on its members and institutions, including the Islamic Development (IsDB) and Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), to support Comoros, the Republic of Guinea, Cot d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone in their development programmes with a view to achieve sustainable developments.

    The OIC also affirmed its commitment to supporting the stability, unity and territorial integrity of Libya and expressed utmost concern for the continuing military operations around the Libyan capital Tripoli.

    It called on all concerned parties in Libya to cease fire immediately to spare citizens’ lives as the escalation of the conflict constituted a threat to international peace and security and to Libya’s stability, “and increases the mounting danger of terrorism throughout the country”.

    The conference affirmed the need for all concerned parties in Libya to commit to the supreme interest of the country and to spare its people further suffering and the woes of the war.

    It also stressed the need for them to return to the political process under the political agreement concluded under the auspices of the UN in order to find a comprehensive settlement through national reconciliation on a consensual basis.

    While noting with satisfaction the steady progress being made by the government of Somalia (FGS) under President Mohamed Abdullahi and reiterated its full support for the peace building endeavours of the FGS, the conference commended the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud and his crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.