Due to last weekend’s Indomitable Lions World Cup qualifying match with Cote d’Ivoire we did not run our weekly review of Cameroon’s players around the globe. Here is the review for the week prior to the international break. Albert Meyong grabbed the headlines by scoring twice in Portugal. Serge N’Gal also scored in Finland, while outside of Europe, Franck Olivier Ongfiang in Tunisia, Christian Bekamengo in Malaysia and Roger Batoum, Rudolph Ebendje and Serge Emaleu in Indonesia found the back of the net. Midweek in a Champions League qualifier Rudolph Douala scored but Sporting Lisbon were eliminated.
Portugal
Albert Meyong scored twice as Belenenses beat Uniao Leiria 3-1 in the 2nd week of action in Portugal’s Super Liga. Meyong grabbed his goals in the 5th and 41st minutes of play. Also playing well in Portugal this week was Rudolph Douala who started at winger as Sporting Lisbon defeated Maritimo 2-1. William Andem was Boavista’s goalkeeper in their 1-1 draw with Estrela Amadora. In the 2nd Division, Clement Beaud entered as a 2nd half sub for Moreirense in their 1-1 tie with Marco.
Spain
Play began this week in Spain. In La Liga Samuel Eto’o started at left forward in Barcelona’s scoreless draw with Alaves and created several good scoring opportunities but was denied either by Alaves’ goalkeeper or by off target shooting. Carlos Kameni started at goalkeeper for Espanyol but his club were beaten 2-0 by Getafe. In the 2nd Division Daniel Ngom Kome, who last year played with Getafe but is now on loan with Ciudad de Murcia, started at attacking midfield as his club beat Recreativo 3-1. Ngom Kome played a strong game creating several good scoring opportunities for his team with accurate passing.
England
In the Premier League Lauren staretd at right back as Arsenal defeated Fulham 4-1. Lauren played a solid game but did miss a penalty kick when the game was scoreless when his weakly hit shot was stopped by Fulham’s goalkeeper. Joseph Desire Job played his last match with Middlesbrough, before going on loan to Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, coming on as a substitute at forward in the 78th minute of Middlesbrough’s 3-0 win over Birmingham City. Vincent Pericard came on as a sub at forward in the 83rd minute of Portsmouth’s 1-1 tie with Aston Villa. In the 2nd Division (Championship) Mathias Doumbe started at centerback as Plymouth lost 1-0 to Hull City.
France
In Ligue 2, Creteil maintained their lead as they beat Chateauroux 2-0. Eugene Ekobo started in his new position of central defender for Creteil. Bertin Tokene started at centerback as Brest beat Clermont 2-0. Gilbert Bayiha was in goal for Grenoble in their scoreless tie with Sete. Alexis Ngambi was the centerback for Montpellier in their 2-1 loss to Laval. Pierre Njanka was Istres captain and starting centerback in their 1-1 draw with Lorient.
Germany
In the Bundesliga Lucien Mettomo started at centerback for Kaiserslautern as they defeated Cologne 3-2. Timothee Atouba played a good match at left back for Hamburg in their 1-1 tie with Hannover. In Bundesliga 2, Francis Kioyo began his 3 match suspension and sat out Energie Cottbus’ 2-1 loss to Paderborn. Scoring both of Paderborn’s goals in that match was German born midfielder Marcel Ndjeng who we are trying to confirm if he has Cameroonian heritage. Ndjeng’s play earned him honors as the Bundesliga 2 player of the week.
Turkey
Greece
The new league season began in Greece and Guy Feutchine started at right side midfield for PAOK Salonika as they lost 1-0 to Skoda Xanthi. Joel Epalle also played at right side midfield for Iraklis in his club’s 3-1 loss to Akratitos.
Belgium
Eric Matoukou played at centerback for Racing Genk as they drew 3-3 with Anderlecht. Patrice Noukeu played in midfield for Mouscron as his club beat Westerlo 1-0.
Switzerland
Augustine Simo played in midfield for Aarau as they lost 1-0 to Grasshoppers Zurich.
Israel
The new league season began in Israel and both Jean Dika Dika and Ernest Etchi played at centerback for SC Ashdod. Unfortunately neither Cameroonian had a good game and Etchi committed two penalties as Ashdod lost 2-1 to Hapoel Nazareth.
Eastern Europe
In Ukraine Patrick Ebanda played defensive midfield for Arsenal Kyiv in their 1-0 win over Tavria. In Croatia Mathias Chago played in midfield for Dinamo Zagreb as they defeated Slaven Balupo 2-0. In Bosnia William Tabi played as Siroki Brijeg beat Jedinstvo 2-0. In Poland Ferdinand Chifon played the first half in midfield for GKS Belchatow as they drew 1-1 with Arka Gdynia. Francois Endene Elokan came on as a midfield sub in the 72nd minute for Pogon Szczecin as they also drew 1-1 with Gornik Zabrze.
In Latvia Aaron Nguimbat at centerback and Parfait Ngon at forward started for Skonto Riga as they tied 1-1 with Dinaburg. Jean Paul Ndjoumeck played the first 51 minutes as his club FK Ventspils beat FK Venta 6-0.
Scandinavia
In Finland Serge N’Gal scored a goal in the 78th minute as Inter Turku defeated TPS 3-1. Marc Ndikumade played in midfield as TP 47 lost 3-0 to FC Lahti. In Norway Patrick Suffo at forward and Somen A Tchoyi in midfield started as Odd Grenland beat Start Kristiansted 2-0. Gustave Bahoken played left back for Aalesund in their 1-1 tie with Tromso. In Sweden Joseph Elanga entered as a sub in the 63rd minute of Malmo’s 6-2 win over Sundsvall. Scoring the 2nd goal for Sundsvall in that match was Cameroonian born Canadian international forward Ali Gerba.
Africa
Asia
The new season began in South Korea and former Fovu forward Felix Nzeina plays with Busan I-Park who won the first half championship in Korea’s split season. Busan I-Park lost 2-1 to Suwon Bluewings.
In China Didier Njewel at forward and Albert Baning in midfield played as Shanghai Zubon beat Shenyang Ginde 1-0.
In Indonesia there were multiple goals scored by Cameroonian forwards this past week. Roger Batoum scored his 13th league goal of the season as his club Persija Jakarta beat Persita 1-0. Rudolph Ebendje scored for Deltras as they defeated PSS 1-0. Serge Emaleu scored a goal for Arema in their 2-2 tie with Sriwijaya. Playing midfield for Sriwijaya was Placide Zoalang.
Later in the week Zoalang was in midfield as Sriwijaya defeated Batoum’s Persija 1-0.
In Malaysia Cup play Christian Bekamengo played forward and scored in the 16th minute but his club Negri Sembilan lost 2-1 to Penang. Bernard Tchoutang played forward for Pahang in their scoreless draw with Kedah. Later in the week Tchoutang played Kedah again and his shot was stopped by the opposing goalie and subsequently knocked in by a teammate as Pahang won 1-0.
South America
The new season began in Uruguay and midfielder Duplex Kamga can not play yet for his new club Wanderers as his international pass has not arrived from Cameroon. Abdul Njankou was injured and missed Plaza Colonia’s first two matches. But Alain Yombi played in defense as Plaza lost 4-1 to defending champions Nacional. Later in the week Yombi again played in defense and Antoine Helha came on as a late attacking sub as Plaza Colonia drew 2-2 with Paysandu.
European Competition
Last week there were qualifying matches played in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup. In the Champions League, Rudolph Douala played winger for Sporting Lisbon in their match against Italy’s Udinese. Douala scored in the 38th minute as Sporting lost 3-2 and were eliminated 4-2 on aggregate. Pierre Boya played forward for Serbian club Partizan Belgrade as they played their 2nd consecutive scoreless draw with Artmedia Bratislava of Slovakia. Artmedia Bratislava went through 4-3 on penalties. Joseph Elanga played left back for Malmo as they lost 3-0 (4-0 overall) to Switzerland’s FC Thun. Armand Deumi did not play for Thun due to injury.
Pierre Wome played left back for Inter Milan as they drew 1-1 with Ukraine’s Shakhtor Donetsk. Inetr went through, however, 3-1 on aggregate. Not playing due to a red card suspension was Stephane Andre Bikey of Lokomotiv Moscow as his club were beaten 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate) by Rapid Vienna of Austria. All of the eliminated clubs will compete in the UEFA Cup with the winning teams moving on to the group stages of the Champions League.
In the UEFA Cup, Patrice Mbock started in defense for Austria’s Pasching as they drew 1-1 on the road at Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia (Zenit won on away goals after a 3-3 draw on aggregate). William Tabi played in midfield as Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia won 5-2 on aggregate over Zeta of Serbia & Montengro after winning the 2nd leg 4-2 last week. Eric Matoukou at centerback and Justice Wamfor in midfield started as Belgium’s Racing Genk beat Latvia’s Liepajas Metalurg 3-0 (6-2 on aggregate). Jean Francois Bell played at centerback for Liechtenstein’s FC Vaduz as they lost 5-1 (6-1 overall) to Turkey’s Besiktas. Ernest Etchi and Jean Dika Dika played at centerback as Israel’s SC Ashdod drew 1-1 with Slovenian club Domezale but were eliminated on away goals.
In the Intertoto Cup, Benoit Assou Ekotto receievd a rare start at left wing in Lens 3-1 victory over Cluj (Romania). Lens qualified for the UEFA Cup 4-1 on aggregate. Timothee Atouba played left back as Hamburg and Valencia played a scoreless tie but Atouba’s Hamburg advanced 1-0 on aggregate.
