Deumi, Feutchine and Noukeu Score, Eto’o Converts Two Penalties

As club football returned around the globe following a one week break for international games, Cameroonian players were busy scoring goals. Armand Deumi in Switzerland, Guy Feutchine in Greece and Patrice Noukeu in Belgium all scored over the weekend while in Spain, Samuel Eto’o converted two penalty kicks to add to his league leading total. Due to the death of Pope John Paul II no league football was played in Italy.

Switzerland

It has been a noteworthy week for Armand Deumi. Last week he made his Indomitable Lion debut in Cameroon’s win over Sudan, this past weekend he scored his first goal for his Swiss club FC Thun. Deumi, started at centerback and

scored via a header the opening goal in Thun’s 2-1 victory over Neuchatel Xamax. Jean Pierre Tcheutchoua started at centerback for Aarau in his club’s 4-2 loss to league leaders FC Basel. In Switzerland’s version of a 2nd Division, young forward Achille Njanke continued his goalscoring form netting twice as his club FC Meyrin drew 2-2 with Kriens.

Spain

Samuel Eto’o scored twice (his 19th and 20th goals of the season) on penalty kicks in Barcelona’s 3-3 draw with Real Betis. Eto’o scored his goals in the 16th and 79th minutes as Barcelona later needed an injury time goal to tie the match against 10 man Betis. The Cameroonian marksman cooly shot both his penalty kicks low and to the right of Betis’ keeper. This coming Sunday is the highly anticipated match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Carlos Kameni’s Espanyol remained in the fight for a place in Europe next season as they beat Racing Santander 3-1. In the 2nd half Kameni made a couple of key saves to preserve the win. Forward Pierre Achille Webo could not repeat his Indomitable Lion goalscoring feats as he played for Osasuna in their 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad. Osasuna are yet to win a league match in 2005 although they have advanced to the semfinals of Spain’s domestic cup the Copa del Rey.

France

There were several good performances this weekend by Cameroonians in France. Jean Makoun started in midfield and helped lead his club to a 8-0 route of bottom club Istres. Makoun, who was sent home from the Indomitable Lions camp for missing curfew, took out his frustration on Istres and played solidly both offensively and defensively. The victory, combined with other results, moved Lille back into 2nd place in France’s Ligue 1. Jean Joel Perrier Doumbe had a good match at right back for Rennes as they beat Bastia 1-0. Playing at centerback for the struggling Corsican team was teenager

Alexandre Song. Benoit Assou Ekotto had a strong game at left back for Lens but they were beaten 1-0 by league leaders Lyon. Toulouse’s 1-0 win over Metz had Achille Emana playing right side midfield for the victors with Herve Tum having a frustrating day at forward for the losing side.

In Ligue 2, Bertin Tokene started at centerback for Grenoble as they beat Chateauroux 2-0. Eugene Ekobo started in midfield and was the captain for Creteil as they defeated Lorient 2-0. Alexis Ngambi started at centerback for Gueugnon in his team’s 1-0 loss to Dijon and Marcus Mokake started at forward before being subbed out after 60 minutes as Sedan lost 2-0 to Brest.

Portugal

Rudolph Douala missed Sporting Lisbon’s 4-0 win over title rivals Boavista due to an injury he picked up in Cameroon’s win over Sudan the week before. But William Andem played in goal for Boavista and was one of his club’s better players despite the big defeat. Andem, however, was involved in a post match scuffle with several Sporting players and could face suspension by the league. Centerback Yohanna Buba started for Estoril but they dropped into the relegation zone as they were beaten by fellow strugglers Academica Coimbra 1-0. Despite the loss, Buba played a solid game in Estoril’s central defense. Albert Meyong came in as a sub at forward in the 71st minute of Vitoria Setubal’s 3-1 win over Nacional.

Greece

Guy Feutchine scored a vital goal, and the only one of the match, as his club PAOK Salonika beat Xanthi 1-0 in a battle between teams fighting for a UEFA Cup slot. Playing in midfield, Feutchine beat the offside trap in the 62nd minute and slotted the ball home for the PAOK victory. Goalkeeper Pierre Ebede also had a noteworthy game as he made 9 saves to help Chalkidona hold onto a 1-1 draw with 3rd place AEK Athens. Samuel Inogue started in midfield and played 87 minutes for Aris Salonika as they played a 1-1 tie with Panathinaikos. Forward Dorge Kouemaha came in off the bench for Aris in the 52nd minute of that match. Joel Epalle played in midfield for Iraklis as they were beaten 1-0 by Egaleo.

England

Lauren was the only Cameroonain to see action in Engalnd’s Premeir League as Tottenham’s Timothee Atouba began the first game of his 3 match suspension for throwing an elbow at Manchester City’s Joey Barton. Lauren, meanwhile played at right back and had a good match as Arsenal easily defeated Norwich 4-1 behind Thierry Henry’s 3 goals. Lauren set up Henry for Arsenal’s 2nd goal of the match with a nice pass.

Scotland

Veteran Franco-Cameroonian forward Pascal Nouma has been out fo contract but recently signed with Scottish Premeir League club Livingston, where he is a teammate of Gustave Bahoken. Nouma made his debut for Livingston this week coming on as a substitute at forward in the 72nd minute of Livingston’s 1-1 tie with Dunfermeline.

Turkey

Herve Zengue started in defense for Ankaragucu in his club’s 7-2 loss to Sakaryaspor. Zengue was pulled, however, after 25 minutes as his club was already trailing 3-0. 3 minutes later, Jean Emmanuel Effa Owona entered as a sub at forward in an attempt to bring Ankaragucu back into the game. Effa Owona got involved in an on field fight with an opponent and in the 51st minute both were given red cards. In a less dramatic match, Souleymanou Hamidou kept a clean scoresheet as Denizlispor played a scoreless draw with Konyaspor. Midfielder Alioum Saidou, who played such a key role in Cameroon’s World Cup qualifying win the week before, started and played 63 minutes for Malatyaspor as his club beat Samsunspor 1-0.

Russia

Former Lionceaux (U-20) player Stephane Andre Bikey has signed with Shinnik Yaroslavl in Russia where he is teammates with Serge Branco. Bikey who once played midfield is now playing in defense and scored Shinnik’s 2nd goal in their match the week before the international break. This week both he and Serge Branco started in Shinnik’s 1-0 loss to Dinamo Moscow. Bikey, who played in central defense received yellow cards in the 76th and 83rd minutes. Branco played the entire match in midfield. Jerry Christian Tchuisse played at right back for FK Moscow as his club were beaten 1-0 by Rubin Kazan.

Germany

Unfortunately all of Cameroon’s players in the Bundelsiga have fallen out of favour with their clubs and did not play this past weekend. In Bundesliga 2, Rot Weiss Essen defeated Dynamo Dresden 2-1. Francis Kioyo started at forward for Essen and played 81 minutes. 2 minutes after he left, Daniel Wansi entered as a sub at forward for Dresden.

Belgium

Patrice Noukeu started in midfield for Mouscron and scored his club’s 3rd and final goal in the 89th minute of their 3-0 win over Westerlo. Racing Genk lost ground in their bid to claim Belgium’s 2nd Champions League spot as they were beaten 4-2 by direct rivals Anderlecht. Justice Wamfor started in midfield for Genk but centerback Eric Matoukou missed the match due to injury. Standrd Liege moved past Genk into 3rd place as they defeated Germinal Beerschot 3-0 with Matthieu Assou Ekotto playing a solid match in defensive midfield for

the victors. Samuel Ipoua came off the bench at forward for St. Trond in the 72nd minute of his club’s 1-0 win over FC Brussels. Meanwhile Mons remained on the bottom of the table after their scoreless draw with Lokeren. Forward Jeremie Njock had several good scoring opportunities for Mons but could not convert them.

Elsewhere in Europe there is news of two recent signings of Cameroonian players. Former 2000 Olympic goalkeeper Daniel Bekono has returned to his old club Beroe in Bulgaria’s top division. Bekono did not play this past week but did start in goal the previous two weeks of league play as the Bulgarian season renewed action following a long winter break. Union Douala’s captain, midfielder Somen A Tchoyi, who once appeared headed to Chateauroux in France’s Ligue 2, has instead signed with Odd Grenland of Norway where the new season will begin shortly.

Patrice Kwedi did play this weekend for his Danish club AGF Aarhus. Kwedi started in midfield and played 78 minutes in Aarhus’ 1-0 loss to Randers FC. In Gozo, a part of the Maltese archipeleago, Thierry Fidjeu staretd at forward and scored twice in the 19th and 31st minutes, the 2nd one via a penalty kick, as his club Xewkija Tigers FC defeated Victoria Hotspurs 4-1. Fidjeu is the league’s top scorer with 20 goals.

There was action involving Cameroonian players in the Americas as well. Former espoirs (U-23) midfielder Alain Nkong has left Uruguay’s Nacional and signed with Colorado Rapids in the United States’ Major League Soccer. In his new club’s opening match of the season, Nkong entered as a substitute at the start of the 2nd half and set up one of Colorado’s goals in their 3-2 loss to last year’s league runnerup Kansas City. In Uruguay Plaza Colonia have added to their Cameroonian colony of players. Defender Alain Yombi and forward Martin Belinga have joined the club and both played in Plaza’s 2-1 loss to Tacuarembo. Yombi played at right back before being substituted after 71 minutes by countryman Belinga. Centerback Mustafa Garou also started and played 90 minutes for Plaza in the loss.

By Martin COUTLER

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