Timothee Atouba’s move to Hamburg, Bill Tchato’s to Nice and Mathias Chago’s transfer to Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia are three of the bigger moves involving Cameroon’s players in the past few weeks. Meanwhile in league play, Armand Deumi, playing shortly after his wife’s tragic death, scored from the penalty spot as the Swiss league began play, Alain Nkong scored twice in the USA, Aaron Nguimbat’s club was knocked out of the Champions league in the preliminary stages and Mathias Chago debuted for his new Croatian “Big” club.
Transfer News
While Camfoot has been keeping it’s readers up to date on the major transfer activity involving Cameroonian players, we also wanted to list all of the completed transfers which we know of have taken place in the past few weeks involving Cameroonian players.
Left back Timothee Atouba‘s transfer from Tottenham in England to Hamburg in Germany has already been well documented on this site as has Bill Tchato‘s move from Germany’s Kaiserslautern to Nice in France but the changing of addresses by those Indomitable Lions players were not the only transfer activity involving Cameroonian players in the past few weeks.
Mathias Chago is a 22 year old central midfielder who moved from NK Metalac in Croatia’s 2nd Division to that nation’s biggest club Dinamo Zagreb. At Dinamo, Chago should get the opportunity to play in European competitions and will be watched by scouts from western Europe as Dinamo Zagreb is known as one of the most fertile grounds for developing players in all of eastern Europe.
Another 22 year old midfielder, Julien Paulin Kemajou has moved from Sable Batie to Germinal Beerschot in Belgium’s Jupiler League, that country’s top division. Kemajou scored 4 goals for Sable in the current Cameroonian championship.
Andre Duplex Kamga is another midfielder moving out of the country. Kamga, voted Cameroon’s top player in 2004 while with Racing Bafoussam, is moving from his current Cameroonian team Union Douala to Wanderers in Uruguay. He’ll now be the sixth Cameroonian in Uruguay’s top division as defenders Abdul Njankou and Alain Yombi and forwards Antoine Helha and Martin Belinga are at Plaza Colonia while young defender Martin Kanga has just been promoted up to the first team at Liverpool FC of Uruguay (not to be confused with that « other » Liverpool in England!)
Midfielder Thierry Bayock moved from Vise, who were relegated from Belgium’s 2nd Division, to another 2nd Division team in that country- OH Leuven.
Central defender Ernest Etchi has moved from Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin in Israel to another Israeli club SC Ashdod.
Left fullback Jacques Momha, who has been a long time reserve at Strasbourg, is leaving his Ligue 1 club for Laval of Ligue 2 in the hopes of obtaining more playing time.
Daniel Ngom Kome isn’t going to be in Hector Cuper’s plans this season in Mallorca so he is being loaned out for the year to Ciudad de Murcia in Spain’s 2nd Division. It’s a bit disappointing Kome couldn’t find a club in La Liga but if it’s any consolation he should at least see plenty of playing time with Ciudad de Murcia.
Forward Francis Kioyo has signed a 2 year contract with Energie Cottbus of Germany’s Bundesliga 2 (2nd Division).
Meanwhile these players are currently either out of contract or were released by their clubs: Centerback Raymond Kalla (ex Bochum, Germany), forward Samuel Ipoua (ex St. Trond, Belgium), centerback Georges Nnomo Ambassa (ex Boavista, Portugal), forward Samuel Ojong (ex FC Thun, Switzerland) and forward Dorge Kouemaha, midfielder Samuel Inogue and defender Eugene Fomumbod, who all were released by their Greek club Aris Salonika, which was relegated to Greece’s version of a 2nd Division.
Former IL goalkeeper Boukar Alioum, who gained Turkish citizenship and played in Turkey under the name of Ali Uyanik, was released by Konyaspor. Alioum did not play at all last season with Konyaspor and at 33 his options appear to be running out.
Ali Gerba, a Cameroonian born Canadian international, has just signed with Sundsvall who are bottom of Sweden’s First Division. Gerba used to be known as Ali Ngon and was born in Yaounde but grew up in Montreal, Canada and recently played for Canada as a forward at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
European competition
Champions League
Two Cameroonian born players, goalkeeper Edel Apula Bete and forward Carl Lombe started for Armenian champion Pyunik Erevan in their 1-0 loss to FC Haka of Finland. Both Bete and Lombe missed the 2nd leg of this match, where Pyunik were eliminated after drawing 2-2, because they were in action with Armenia’s U-19 team in the European U-19 Championship. As a teenager, goalkeeper Bete already is the senior Armenian national team’s number 2 goalkeeper. Because these two Cameroonian born players have chosen to represent another country we will not be following their weekly exploits but we did want to inform our readers of their existence as both seem as if they are promising players.
UEFA Cup
In the UEFA Cup Vaduz of Liechtenstein, which participates in Switzerland’s 2nd Division (Challenge League) played Dacia Chisinau of Moldova in a preliminary round match of the UEFA Cup. Central defender Jean Francois Bell started for Vaduz as they won the first leg 2-0.
Intertoto Cup
Left back Benoit Assou Ekotto started for Lens of France as they drew 1-1 with NK Varteks of Croatia in the Intertoto cup. In leg 2 Assou Ekotto entered as a sub at left side midfield in the 70th minute as Lens advanced with a 4-1 victory to win 5-2 on total goals.
Switzerland
The new league season began in Switzerland and Armand Deumi played with a heavy heart due to his wife’s tragic death. Camfoot passes on it’s condolences to Deumi and his family on their loss. Playing in honor of his wife, central defender Deumi scored from the penalty spot as FC Thun beat Aarau 2-0. Jean Pierre Tchetchoua started at centerback for Aarau in
Russia
League play continued in Russia and Jerry Christian Tchuisse played twice for FK Moscow. Tchuisse started at right back as his club defeated city rivals Spartak Moscow 3-1. He played the same position as FK Moscow later lost 1-0 to league leaders and current champions Lokomotiv Moscow.
Serge Branco started at left wing back in both of Shinnik Yaroslavl’s games: a 0-0 draw with Amkar Perm and a 2-1 win over bottom of the table Rostov.
Ukraine
Defensive midfielder Patrick Ebanda started both of Arsenal Kyiv’s games in the new season in Ukraine. He played in Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to city rivals Dynamo Kyiv and their 2-1 loss to Volyn Lutsk.
Croatia
The new league season began in Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb’s new signing central midfielder Mathias Chago started and received good reviews in their 4-0 victory over Cibalia.
Austria
Two Cameroonians came off the bench to help their clubs this week in Austria. Forward Ahmadou Rabihou entered as a sub at the start of the 2nd half as Sturm Graz drew 0-0 with Wacker Tirol. Earlier Rabihou again came on as a sub in the 68th minute of Sturm Graz’ 2-1 win over Admira. Defender Patrice M’Bock entered as a sub in the 60th minute for his club SV Pasching in their 2-0 loss to Rapid Vienna.
Sweden
In Sweden, Joseph Elanga started at left back for Malmo in their 1-0 loss to Hacken. Elanga also played in Malmo’s 2-1 victory over Halmstads.
Norway
In Norway, Somen A Tchoyi started and played 75 minutes at midfield as his club Odd Grenland defeated Tromso 1-0.
North America
Alain Nkong was the big star in the USA this week as he scored two goals and set up another as Colorado Rapids defeated Chicago Fire 4-1. In the 23rd minute Nkong, who started at attacking midfield for Colorado, scored his first, and the team’s first goal of the game bending a shot from 15 meters out around Chicago’s goalkeeper. In the 75th minute, Nkong made a pass to teammate Jeff Cunningham who scored to make it 3-1 and in the 85th minute Nkong alertly pounced on a square pass in the back, intercepted the ball and coolly fired in the net for his 2nd goal of the night and his club’s 4th of the game.
In hid final game for his Canadian club Montreal Impact, Ali Gerba started at forward, played 75 minutes and set up a goal as Montreal beat Toronto Lynx 2-1. Sitting on the bench for Toronto in that game was another Cameroonian, midfielder Huffman Eja Tabi.
