Eto’o Scores In Key Barcelona Victory, Epalle and N’Gal Also Net Goals, Douala Leads Sporting Lisbon To UEFA Cup Final

Samuel Eto’o scored Barcelona’s 2nd goal in their vital 2-0 victory over Valencia which all but wrapped up the Spanish league title for the Catalan club. In Greece Joel Epalle scored once and set up two other goals while in Finland, where the new season just began, teenager Serge N’Gal scored. In European club action, Geremi played right back for Chelsea but they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals while Rudolph Douala played as Sporting Lisbon won a spot in the UEFA Cup Final.

Spain

Samuel Eto’o played a key role in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory at Valencia which all but asured the Catalan club this season’s Spanish league title as they maintained their 6 point lead over Real Madrid with 3 matches to play. Because of a better head to head record with Real Madrid, in case of a tie in points between the clubs, Barcelona would win the crown thus all they need is one more victory in their three remaining matches to assure the championship.

Against Valencia, Ronaldinho opened the scoring with a magnificent curling long range shot. A few minutes later the Brazilian playmaker fed a perfect ball to a streaking Eto’o down the left side of the penalty area, the Cameroonian striker’s head and body fake left Valencia’s central defender Carlos Marchena helpless and Eto’o then fired an angled shot to the far post for Barcelona’s 2nd goal on the night and Eto’o’s league leading 23rd of the season. Eto’o had several other chances to add to his goal scoring total but was unable to convert them but the big win over the defending league champions Valencia means this year’s title will certainly be headed to the Nou Camp Stadium. Elsewhere in Spain, Carlos Kameni started in goal as Espanyol easily beat Numancia 3-0. Kameni made a few nice saves in the match but for the most part wasn’t troubled too much by Numancia, who are almost certainly facing relegation. With the win Espanyol remained in the multi team fight for a place in next season’s Champions League. Daniel Ngom Kome started at forward for Getafe as his club beat Real Sociedad 2-0. Kome combined well with his forward partner and created some dangerous opportunities before he was subbed out after 65 minutes.

Greece

Joel Epalle continues his excellent run of form for Iraklis in Greece. This weekend he scored one goal and set up two others as Iraklis defeated Kallithea 5-1. It was the Cameroonian right sided midfielder’s passes which set up Iraklis’ first 2 goals before Epalle, in the 73rd minute, scored the team’s 3rd goal of the game and his 5th of the season. He was subbed out after 80 minutes. When he was acquired during the winter break, Irkalis was fighting relegation, now they are fighting for a UEFA Cup spot and a big reason has been the excellent play of Epalle. Coming on as a midfield sub at the start of the 2nd half for Kallithea in the match against Iraklis was Jean Denis Ouanga. Guy Feutchine started at right side midfield as PAOK Salonika fought to a 1-1 draw with league leaders Panathinaikos. The tie means PAOK remain in good position for a UEFA Cup berth next season. Goalkeeper Pierre Ebede‘s Chalkidona club, however, likely lost all hope for a UEFA Cup slot as they were beaten 3-2 by Apollon Kalamaria despite Ebede making 5 saves in the match. At the other end of the table, Aris Salonika drew 1-1 with Panionios which dropped Aris down into the relegation zone. Starting at forward for Aris was Dorge Kouemaha who had multiple attempts at goal but was unable to convert any of them. Although Nana Falemi did not play this weekend, his club Ergotelis lost guaranteeing they will be relegated.

England

In England’s Premier League, Chelsea celebrated their title win by beating Charlton 1-0. Starting in midfield and giving a good performance for the champions was Geremi. Lauren played right back and gave a tough tackling display as Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-1 which all but sealed 2nd place for the Gunners. Valery Mezague started in central midfield for Portsmouth but gave a nervous display before being subbed out after 77 minutes as Portsmouth drew 1-1 with Bolton. Eric Djemba Djemba returned to action for Aston Villa after an injury layoff and battled well from his defensive midfield position as he came on as a sub at the start of the 2nd half in Aston Villa’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City.

In the Championship, England’s version of the 2nd Division, Matthias Doumbe started at centerback as Plymouth drew 0-0 with Leicester City. Plymouth ended the season in 17th position in the 24 team league but only 3 points above the relegation zone. In League One, the 3rd Division of English football, Michel Pensee Bilong started at centerback as Milton Keynes Dons, the club formerly known as Wimbledon, beat Tranmere 2-1. The victory allowed Bilong‘s team to escape relegation by goal differential! Midweek, Geremi started at right back for Chelsea in their 2nd leg semifinal of the Champions League versus Liverpool. He defended well in the match when needed and moved forward at times but had trouble getting in any crosses as the ultra defensive Liverpool often double teamed him on the right wing. He was subbed out after 76 minutes as Liverpool’s 1-0 win moved them on to the Champions League Final v AC Milan.

Portugal

It was a big week for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Midweek they qualified in dramatic fashion for the UEFA Cup Final, to be played on their home ground, while over the weekend in league play they moved to the top of the Portuguese Superliga standings with a 1-0 win over Vitoria Guimaraes. Rudolph Douala started at right side forward for Sporting and his speed and movement caused all sorts of troubles for Vitoria Guimaraes’ defense before he was subbed out after 70 minutes. With the victory, Sporting Lisbon moved ahead of cross town rivals Benfica, on goal difference, atop the league table with 2 matches to play. Georges Nnomo Ambassa started at centerback as Boavista lost 2-1 to Sporting Braga dropping Boavista down to 6th place in the league. Ambassa did well in his one on one duels and used his strength well but still needs work on reading the game which should come with time as he adopts to the professional level. Albert Meyong entered as a sub at forward after 62 minutes as Vitoria Setubal defeated Uniao Leiria 2-0. Meyong’s speed and dynamism opened up the game in favor of Vitoria Setubal.

Midweek Rudolph Douala started at forward for Sporting Lisbon in as dramatic and exciting a match as has been played all season long in Europe. He played for Sporting in their 2nd leg UEFA Cup semifinal at Holland’s AZ Alkmaar. Sporting had a 2-1 lead, courtesy of a Douala goal, from leg 1. He narrowly missed scoring a goal on a header in the 2nd leg and was a danger on the counter attack throughout the match before he was subbed out for a defensive replacement in the 75th minute with the game tied 1-1 (and Sporting ahead 3-2 on aggregate). Alkmaar then scored a goal to send the match into extra time and without Douala on the break Sporting’s attack was less effective in the closing minutes of regulation play. In the 30 minute extra period, however, Sporting came back to life but Alkmaar scored a goal in the 109th minute which seemed to send them on to the final. But in dramatic fashion, in injury time of the extra period, Sporting scored on a header to win the matchup on away goals after a 4-4 tie on aggregate. On May 18 the UEFA Cup Final will be played at Sporting’s home stadium between Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow.

France

In Ligue 1, Lyon clinched their 4th consecutive league title over the weekend but Lille maintained 2nd position in the league and a berth in next season’s Champions League with a 1-0 victory over PSG. Giving a solid performance as a ball winner in midfield for Lille was Jean Makoun. Benoit Assou Ekotto started at left back for Lens in their 1-1 draw with Metz. Assou Ekotto created Lens’ best chances throughout the match with his forays up the left flank. Herve Tum missed the game for Metz as he was suspended. Salomon Olembe started at left back for Marseille as they lost more ground on the league leaders with a 3-2 loss at home to Caen. Olembe gave away a ball which led to Caen’s first goal but it was his pass which set up his club’s opening goal of the game. Achille Emana came off the bench in midfield for Toulouse at the start of the 2nd half in his club’s 2-0 loss to St. Etienne.

In Ligue 2, Sedan lost 1-0 to Dijon which all but eliminated them from having a chance at winning promotion to Ligue 1. Entering as a sub at forward for Sedan in the 74th minute of the match was Marcus Mokake. Alexis Ngambi started at centerback for Gueugnon as they lost 2-0 to Nancy. With the win Nancy eamed promotion next season. During the week, Nancy also signed to a professional contract one of their youth team players, teenage midfielder Joel Landry Nguemo, who has played for Cameroon’s U-17 and U-20 national teams. So next season we will have one more Cameroonian player to follow in France’s Ligue 1. Elsewhere in Ligue 2, Gilbert Bayiha was in goal as Grenoble played a scoreless draw with Angers. Eugene Ekobo was Creteil’s captain and central midfielder in their 1-0 win over Amiens.

Germany

In the Bundesliga, Lucien Mettomo at centerback and Bill Tchato at left back started as Kaiserslautern beat already relegated Freiburg 2-1. Both Cameroonian defenders had average games at best. Raymond Kalla seems destined to remain on the bench for Bochum who are joining Freiburg in being relegated to Bundesliga 2. This week in Bundesliga 2, Francis Kioyo had a poor game at forward as Rot Weiss Essen lost 2-0 to Furth. Daniel Wansi came on as a substitute at forward in the 81st minute of Dynamo Dresden’s 1-0 victory over Aue.

Italy

Brescia’s unbeaten streak ended as they were soundly beaten by 3rd place Inter Milan 3-0 in Italy’s Serie A. Pierre Wome started at left wing back for Brescia. In Serie B, Thomas Job Iyock started at right side midfield as Pescara drew 1-1 with Hellas Verona.

Turkey

Galatasaray beat Ankaragucu 2-1 in Turkey. Rigobert Song started at centerback for Galatasaray while Herve Zengue started at left side midfield for Ankaragucu. Forward Jean Emamnuel Effa Owona came on as a sub for Ankaragucu after 80 minutes. With 3 matches to play, Galatasaray trail league leaders Fenerbahce by 4 points while Ankaragucu are 2 points above the relegation zone. Goalkeeper Souleymanou Hamidou has been left out of Denizlispor’s starting lineup the past several weeks.

Belgium

In Belgium Mons remained in the relegation zone after their scoreless tie with league leaders FC Bruges. Jeremie Njock started at forward for Mons and had an active match with several opportunities for himself and creating several more for teammates but Mons could not convert. In the 78th minute Njock received a direct red card for a late challenge on FC Bruges goalkeeper and will miss Mons next match as they fight to avoid relegation.

Racing Genk scored a big 5-1 victory over Lierse as Justice Wamfor started at defensive midfield. Patrice Noukeu also played in midfield but for Mouscron as his club lost 1-0 to Cercle Bruges. Samuel Ipoua started and played 62 minutes at forward for St. Trond as they beat Westerlo 1-0 and assured their permanence next season in Belgium’s Jupiler League. Matthieu Assou Ekotto came on as a sub in midfield in the 77th minute of Standard Liege’s 3-2 win over Beveren.

Switzerland

Centerback Armand Deumi was injured midweek in FC Thun’s 2-1 win over St. Gallen. Deumi had to leave the match after 10 minutes. We will update our readers as we learn more about the extent of Deumi’s injury. In the same match forward Samuel Ojong came on as a sub for Thun after 81 minutes. Over the weekend, Thun lost all hope they had of winning the Swiss title as they lost 4-1 to league leaders Basel with Deumi unable to play. Ojong came on as a sub after 54 minutes but his most noteworthy contribution was receiving a yellow card only a minute after entering the match. Centerback Jean Pierre Tchetchoua and midfielder Augustine Simo played for Aarau in their 1-1 draw with Schaffhausen.

Finland

The new league season began in Finland last week and FC Inter Turku and their teenage Cameroonian striker Serge N’gal played two matches. N’Gal started at forward as FC Inter Turku opened their season by playing a scoreless draw with AC Allianssi. Despite not scoring, N’Gal put on a show in that match with his speed, movement and dribbling earning praise from the Finnish media who called him the « Finnish League’s Obafemi Martins ». Later in the week, he started again as FC Inter Turku drew 1-1 with MyPa. He scored his club’s only goal of the match after 33 minutes.

Israel

Emile Mbamba played 116 minutes midweek at forward as Maccabi Tel Aviv moved on to the Israeli Cup Final with a 2-1 extra time victory over Maccabi Petah Tikva. Over the weekend, in league play he again started at forward and played 83 minutes as Maccabi Tel Aviv drew 0-0 with Ashdod. Ernest Etchi at centerback and Kalle Sone at forward started for Bnei Sakhnin as they drew 1-1 with Hapoel Beersheva. In the 62nd minute, Sone was playing around with the ball then he attempted a back pass to his goalie which was intercepted by Beersheva’s forward and converted into their only goal of the game. 4 minutes later he was subbed out of the match as Bnei Sakhnin remains in the relegation zone in Israel. Elsewhere: In Scotland, Gustave Bahoken started at left back as Livingston continued their late season revival with a 1-0 win over Inverness CT. No matches were played this weekend in Russia due to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. In Ukraine, there were league matches and Patrick Ebanda started at defensive midfield for Arsenal Kyiv in their scoreless draw with Metallist Kharkov. He was sent off, however, after 83 minutes as he received his 2nd yellow card. In Bulgaria, Daniel Bekono started at goalkeeper as Beroe were beaten 2-1 by Lokomotiv Sofia. In Serbia & Montenegro, Partizan Belgrade moved closer to the league title with a pair of 3-1 victories this week. Midweek they beat Vojovodina with Pierre Boya coming on as a 2nd half sub at forward while over the weekend their victims were Zemun as Pierre Boya started the match at forward. In the Czech Republic, Patrice Abanda entered as a sub in midfield after 87 minutes of Teplice’s 1-0 win over Pribaram.

It was a busy week in Latvia, in midweek action, Skonto Riga lost 4-2 to Liepajas Metalurg as Aaron Nguimbat started at centerback for Skonto. Jean Paul Ndjoumeck also played centerback but for FK Venta who lost 1-0 to FC Dinaburg. Over the weekend, Nguimbat again was at centerback as Skonto Riga beat FC Dinaburg 3-0 and Ndjoumeck started as FK Venta lost 1-0 to FK Ventspils. Although he did not play this week, FC Dinaburg did sign midfielder Marc Ndikumade from Mt. Cameroon. In Sweden, Malmo played twice during the week and Joseph Elanga started at left back in both matches. Midweek Malmo drew 1-1 with Hammarby while over the weekend they defeated newly promoted Assyriska 2-0. In Norway, Odd Grenland also played twice and Somen A Tchoyi started both matches. Midweek they lost 2-0 to Lillestrom as Tchoyi had an average match while over the weekend they were beaten 4-0 by Start Kristianstad as he and the rest of his teammates had a poor match. The Cameroonian midfielder was subbed out after 79 minutes. In Denmark, Patrice Kwedi came on as a sub at left side midfield after 58 minutes of AGF Aarhus’ 3-1 loss to Aalborg. In the Americas, there was not any league action this weekend in Uruguay while in the United States, Alain Nkong came on as a last minute sub for Colorado in their 3-2 loss at Los Angeles Galaxy. By Martin COUTLER

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