Cameroonian Player Movement in Europe – Summer 2004

This summer has seen several big transfer moves involving Cameroonian players in Europe. While rumors still persist about whether Samuel Eto’o and Geremi Njitap will change clubs for the 2004-5 club season there are some transfers which have already been finalized.

The biggest may be Lions captain Rigobert Song‘s transfer from Lens of France to Turkey’s Galatasaray. Song is in Istanbul this weekend and is expected to sign a 3 year contract with Galatasaray on Monday. Depending on reports Lens is supposed to receive anywhere from 1.5 to slightly less than 3 million Euros for Song’s transfer.

Song will not, however, be the only Cameroonian at Galatasaray. The club also signed midfield Alioum Saidou from Istanbulspor over the summer and he is expected to compete for a starting spot in new coach Gheorghe Hagi’s midfield. Another Cameroonian,U-23 forward Emmanuel Effa Owona, switched clubs in Turkey as he left relegated Elazigspor for Ankaragucu in the nation’s capital.

Effa Owona wasn’t the only Cameroon forward on the move over the summer as new IL forward Herve Tum left FC Basel in Switzerland to sign for Metz in France’s Ligue 1. IL hopeful Rudolph Douala, who scored 10 goals last year for Uniao Leiria in Portugal’s Super Liga, has just signed a four year contract with one of Portugal’s 3 biggest clubs, Sporting Lisbon. Douala has already told Portuguese website Maisfutebol that he hopes the exposure he will receive at Sporting Lisbon will give him a chance with the Indomitable Lions. Meanwhile Sporting are happy to sign a quick and dangerous forward like Douala.

Several Cameroonian players moved to clubs where they’ll be joining other Cameroonians. In Switzerland, former Lions midfielder Augustine Simo left FC Zurich for FC Aarau where he will join centerback Jean Pierre Tcheutchoua. Forward Samuel Ojong has moved from Neuchatel Xamax to FC Thun where he’ll be a teammate of midfielder Armand Deumi. In France, Sedan, the Ligue 2 club of Lions players Marcus Mokake and Pierre Njanka, have signed two espoirs (U-20) from Cameroonian clubs, defensive midfielder Guy Ngosso from Cotonsport and centerback Frederic Minye from Bonamoussadi.

In France two young fullbacks will be looking to make names for themselves after their summer transfers. Left back Jean Hugues Ateba has left Nantes for the bright lights of Paris where he’ll be a teammate of Modeste Mbami with PSG. U-23 right back Angbwa Benoit, who recovered from a bout of malaria this spring, has been loaned, with an option to buy, from Nacional of Uruguay to Lille in France. Benoit will now be a teammate with Jean Makoun at the French club.

In Belgium, two young Cameroonian players to keep an eye out for will be 21 year old midfielder Patrice Noukeu who is joining Jupiler League club Mouscron from 2nd Division Verbroedering Geel and U-23 left winger/midfielder Guy Bertrand Ngon A Mamoun who has signed for St. Trond (known as St. Truiden in Flemish) from his club in UAE.

More transfers involving cameroonian players will surely occur in the coming weeks and we’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on those transactions.

Here is a list of the transfers, loans and players released from contract that we know of which have occurred this summer. The players are listed by name, position, new club (or out of contract if applicable) and then in parentheses is the name of their old club.

Cameroonian Player Movement in Europe Summer 2004

France

Ligue 1
– Jean Hugues Ateba lb PSG (Nantes)
– Herve Tum fw Metz (FC Basel)
– Angbwa Benoit rb Lille (Nacional/Uruguay)
– Luc Michel M’Beng fb out of contract (Caen)

Ligue 2
-Eugene Ekobo mf Creteil (Beauvais)
-Guy Ngosso dmf Sedan (Cotonsport/Cameroon)
-Frederic Minye cb Sedan (Bonamoussadi/Cameroon)

National
– Patrick Noubissie fb Roye (Sedan)

Switzerland

– Augustine Simo mf FC Aarau (FC Zurich)
– Samuel Ojong fw FC Thun (Neuchatel Xamax)
– Jean Michel Tchouga fw out of contract (Concordia Basel)

Belgium

– Patrice Noukeu mf Mouscron (Geel/Div. 2)
– Guy Bertrand Ngon A Mamoun lw St. Trond (Al Arabi/UAE)
– Hans Eric Ekounga fw out of contract (Lokeren)
– Francis Ambane fw out of contract (Lokeren)
– Georges Mbida mf out of contract (Lokeren)

Germany

– Serge Branco mf out of contract (VfB Stuttgart)

Portugal

– Rudolph Douala fw Sporting Lisbon (Uniao Leiria)

Turkey

– Rigobert Song cb Galatasaray (Lens)
– Alioum Saidou mf Galatasaray (Istanbulspor)
– Emmanuel Effa Owona fw Ankaragucu (Elazigspor)

England

– Mathias Doumbe cb Plymouth Argyle (Hibernian/Scotland)
– George Elokobi df Colchester (1st pro contract)

Scotland

– Gustave Bahoken df Livingston (Angers/France)

Romania

– Patrick Bengondo fw out of contract (Universitatae Craiova)

By Coutler Martin, redaction@camfoot.com

ER