European football will take a break next week to allow for World Cup qualifying matches to be played around the world. But before going on break, Cameroonian players scored goals all over Europe this past week. Guy Feuchine, Emile Mbamba, Kalla Raymond, Patrick Suffo and other Cameroonian players were on target this week-end.
Germany
In Germany centerback Raymond Kalla scored his third goal of the season for Bochum. Kalla’s club went behind 3-0 to Schalke as Kalla, and the rest of the Bochum defence, had trouble containing Schalke’s attack. But Bochum fought back and Kalla, with a right footed shot, scored Bochum’s 2nd goal of the match in the 65th minute. Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Bill Tchato returned to Kaiserslautern’s starting line-up, playing as a left wing back, but he did not have a good match and was substituted in the 56th minute of Kaiserslautern’s 2-0 loss to Hertha Berlin. Mohamadou Idrissou sat out Hannover’s match this weekend with a slight injury.
In Bundesliga 2, Cyrille Florent Bella scored an early goal (minute 7) as his club LR Ahlen beat Duisburg 2-0. Daniel Wansi came on as a halftime sub for Dynamo Dresden in their 5-1 loss to Alemania Aachen but Wansi did set up Dresden’s only goal of the match. Francis Kioyo started at forward for Rot Weiss Essen in their wild 4-4 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
France
In Toulouse’s 2-1 loss to Auxerre, Achille Emana started at right side midfield for Toulouse and had an active match. He was fouled in the penalty area which created Toulouse’s only goal of the game. Henri Bedimo Nsame entered as a sub at left back for Toulouse in the 81st minute. Also playing as a left back for his club was Benoit Assou Ekotto who started for Lens in their 1-1 draw with Ajaccio. Jacques Momha of Strasbourg saw his first action of the season coming on as a replacement for an injured teammate at left back in the 23rd minute of Strasbourg’s 2-0 loss to Nantes. Unfortunately Momha showed the effects of his recent inactivity. Herve Tum warmed up for his national team duty by having an active, but non scoring, match in Metz’s 0-0 draw with Sochaux. Finally, Salomon Olembe came on as a 2nd half sub for Marseille in their 2-0 win over newly promoted local rivals Istres.
In Ligue 2, Grenoble’s 2 Cameroonians, goalkeeper Gilbert Bayiha and centerback Bertin Tokene started in the club’s 1-1 draw with Brest. Marcus Mokake started at forward for Ligue 2 leaders Sedan’s 1-0 win over LeHavre. Elsewhere, Eugene Ekobo started in midfield for Creteil (1-2 v Troyes); Martin Ekani at centerback for Angers (1-1 with Clermont); Alexis Ngambi at centerback for Gueugnon (0-0 with Chateauroux) and Stephane Biakolo came on as a sub at forward in the 67th minute of Niort’s 3-1 loss to Nancy.
England
But it was in England’s version of the 2nd Division (Championship) where Cameroon’s players really had an effect this week. Over the weekend, Patrick Suffo entered as a sub in the 73rd minute for Coventry City in their 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town. 4 minutes later, Suffo scored by lobbing the ball over the opposing team’s goalie. A few minutes later he narrowly missed scoring a second goal. Elsewhere Matthias Doumbe started at centerback as Plymouth defeated Gillingham 2-1. Serge Branco came on as a sub at left side midfield for QPR in his club’s 1-0 win over Stoke City.
During the week there also were league games in the Championship. Matthias Doumbe started in midfield for Plymouth and scored a goal by heading in a corner kick in the 19th minute of his club’s 1-1 draw with Preston North End. In Queens Park Rangers (QPR) 4-1 win over Coventry City, Serge Branco came on as a sub at left midfield in the 58th minute for QPR while Patrick Suffo entered at forward in the 78th minute for Coventry.
Spain
Carlos Kameni was helpless to stop the only goal of Espanyol’s 1-0 loss to Albacete as the only goal of the match came from an unmarked header by an Albacete forward. Daniel Kome made his season debut after missing the previous three months with right knee troubles when he came on as a 74th minute sub in midfield of Getafe’s 3-1 surprising win over Athletic Bilbao.
Portugal
Rudolph Douala came on as a substitute at right sided forward at the start of the 2nd half of Sporting’s 2-2 draw with his former club Uniao Leiria. Douala set up Sporting’s late equalizer with a good move followed by a right wing cross to Beto. Yohanna Buba started at centerback and had an average match in Estoril’s 2-1 loss to Penafiel. Albert Meyong came on as a sub at forward in the 59th minute of Vitoria Setubal’s 2-2 draw with Moreirense. Goalkeeper William Andem did not play for Boavista due to a leg injury. The same applied to Clement Beaud of Academica Coimbra.
Belgium
Racing Genk held league leaders FC Bruges to a 1-1 draw. Eric Matoukou started at centerback for Genk and Justice Wamfor reappeared after an injury layoff entering as a sub in midfield to begin the 2nd half. Moments after coming into the game, Wamfor nearly scored for Genk. Elsewhere in Belgium, Matthieu Assou Ekotto started in midfield for La Louviere as his club continued their good start to the season with a 2-0 win over Westerlo. Aloys Nong started at forward but was subbed out at the end of the 1st half as FC Brussels scored a rare win 2-1 over Mons. Midfielder Patrice Noukeu was red carded in Mouscron’s 2-0 loss to Standard Liege.
Greece
In Greece, Indomitable Lion Guy Feutchine scored just before halftime for PAOK Salonika in his club’s 1-0 win over Iraklis. There were Cameroonians on either side as Chalkidona defeated Kallithea 4-2. Pierre Ebede made 5 saves in goal for Chalkidona and Jean Denis Ouanga entered as a sub at attacking midfield for Kallithea in the 30th minute.
Turkey
In other European matches involving Cameroonian players, Jeremie Njock scored twice in Romania as Universitatae Craiova defeated FC Brasov 3-1. Njock, who scored 11 goals last season for Universitatae Craiova, notched his first two goals of the new season in the 17th and 89th minutes. Romanian born Cameroonian Nana Falemi did not play this weekend for Steaua Bucharest due to a slight injury. In the former Yugoslavia, Pierre Boya started at forward as Partizan Belgrade defeated Zeleznik 2-1. In Sweden, Malmo lost 1-0 to Kalmar but maintained their league lead. Joseph Elanga started once again at left wing back for Malmo.
In Finland, the league season ended this weekend and 2 Cameroonians saw action for FC Inter Turku as they ended the season in 4th place. Playing for FC Inter Turku in their 1-1 draw with FC Jaro where team captain Marcel Mahouve in midfield and youngster Serge Ngal at forward. Ngal had scored goals in each of FC Inter Turku’s previous two matches but was held scoreless in his club’s final match of the Finish season.
In Israel, Emile Mbamba, who has been coming off the bench for his new club Maccabi Tel Aviv, received a start this week at left sided forward and he showed his worth by scoring a goal in the 67th minute of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 2-1 win at Hapoel Haifa. In addition to his goal, Mbamba had several other good opportunities to score. Centerback Ernest Etchi started at centerback for Bnei Sakhnin as his club won 4-1 against Beitar Jerusalem.
In Ukraine, Patrick Ebanda missed his first match of the season for Arsenal Kyiv due to injury but compatriot Ernest Siankam started in midfield for Volyn Lutsk in his club’s 1-1 draw with Metalurg Zaporizhyzhya. In Latvia, 2000 Olympic Gold medallist Aaron Nguimbat started at centerback for Skonto Riga in their 2-1 win over FC Dinaburg. Parfait Ngon started in midfield and was subbed out in the 81st minute of FK Riga’s 3-1 loss to FC Ventspils. In Switzerland, centerback Armand Deumi of FC Thun and midfielder Augustine Simo of FC Aarau started in their club’s scoreless draw. Patrice Abanda started at centerback for Drnovice in his club’s 1-1 tie with Blsany in the Czech Republic. Finally in South America, Alain N’Kong came on as a sub in midfield in the 85th minute as Nacional of Uruguay tied 2-2 with Plaza Colonia.
Martin COUTLER, martin@camfoot.com
