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FECAFOOT moves to clamp down on age cheating

FECAFOOT moves to clamp down on age cheating

Cameroon’s football federation has summoned 44 players from eight different clubs for a hearing next month into alleged age or identity cheating, it said in a statement.

They must be accompanied by their club presidents for an investigation to be held in person from July 4-8, the federation said on Monday.

All are suspected of”false titles (cheating on age and/or identity) and complicity”.

”The parties concerned are invited to appear, assisted or not by their counsel, for their hearing,” the statement added, saying those who did not appear would face consequences.

The hearings are a rare effort in Africa to stop age cheating, or identity fraud, which continues to be a major source of concern for the continent’s football.

Accusations of cheating are regularly made, and many of Africa’s international successes in junior tournaments are clouded by allegations of use of over-age players, but there has been little effort to either investigate it or stop it.

Cameroon federation president Samuel Eto’o, former Cameroon, Barcelona and Inter Milan striker, promised reform of the game in the central African country when he was elected in December.

Source: Reuters

Eto’o handed 22-month suspended prison sentence after defrauding Spanish government of £3.3m

Eto’o handed 22-month suspended prison sentence after defrauding Spanish government of £3.3m

SAMUEL ETO’O has received a 22-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

The former Chelsea star, 41, admits defrauding the Public Treasury of £3.3million between 2006 and 2009, while he was at Barcelona.

Samuel Eto’o received a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion

Eto’o previously blamed his agent Jose Maria Mesalles for the tax evasion – who has also been given a one-year suspended prison sentence.

In court, Eto’o referred to Mesalles as a father figure, saying: “I admit the facts and I will pay, but let it be known that I was a child then and that I always did what my father asked me to do.”

Eto’o has partially repaid the fee he owes and has been ordered to pay a further £1.5m in fines, and Mesalles £776,000.

The Cameroonian failed to pay tax on the income he received from the transfer of his image rights from Puma to Barcelona between 2006 and 2009.

Instead, he taxed the image rights through two companies, one of which was based abroad in Hungary – so did not pay the full amount of Spanish tax required.

And Eto’o previously argued Mesalles was responsible as he looked after his finances.

Mesalles has previous form for fraud and was convicted on criminal charges of tax fraud, swindling and embezzlement after Eto’o brought a civil case against him.

The judge also ruled Mesalles had to pay Eto’o £15.4m in damages – but it was never paid.

Eto’o had a very successful period at the Nou Camp between 2004- 2009, scoring 130 goals in 199 games.

He won the Champions League twice and LaLiga three times. Eto’o was also named the African Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

Source: The Sun

Football: Tearful Marcelo wants to keep playing after leaving Real Madrid

Football: Tearful Marcelo wants to keep playing after leaving Real Madrid

Marcelo said an emotional goodbye to Real Madrid on Monday as the most decorated player in the club’s history but insisted he has no plans to retire.

The 34-year-old has spent 15 years at the Santiago Bernabeu and will be a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Marcelo won 25 trophies at Real Madrid, including five Champions League, six La Liga and two Copa del Rey titles.

Among those attending a farewell ceremony in Valdebebas were Marcelo’s teammates, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, as well as Carlo Ancelotti and Raul, who is currently in charge of the club’s B team.

“When I signed for Madrid, in my head I thought I could reach the top, and here I am the player with the most titles in its history,” said Marcelo who broke down in tears.

“It’s not goodbye, I don’t feel like I’m leaving Madrid. If you don’t give me a ticket, there will be trouble,” he joked.

Marcelo said he would have no problem playing against Real Madrid in the future, keeping open the possibility he will join another team in Europe.

“I haven’t thought about retiring, I think I can still play,” he said. “I don’t think playing against Madrid will be a problem, I couldn’t have done any more. I’m very professional.”

Marcelo collected his fifth Champions League title last month as Real Madrid defeated Liverpool in Paris to win a 14th European Cup.

But he did not play in the final, with Ancelotti favouring Ferland Mendy at left-back for Madrid’s biggest games last season. Marcelo made only five starts in La Liga.

“This season I’ve hardly played but I have felt useful even without playing. I felt a responsibility,” Marcelo said. “Sometimes I would be furious with Ancelotti and then the next day we were sharing kisses and hugs.”

Marcelo joined Real Madrid in 2007 and made 545 appearances for the club in all competitions. He scored against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final to make it 3-1 in extra-time, as Real Madrid won 4-1 in Lisbon.

“You are irreplaceable,” said Perez. “You should be proud of your brilliant career.”

Source: AFP

Judge dismisses Cristiano Ronaldo rape lawsuit in Las Vegas

Judge dismisses Cristiano Ronaldo rape lawsuit in Las Vegas

A U.S. judge has dismissed the Las Vegas rape lawsuit against Manchester United and Portugal soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, Britain’s Sky News reported on Saturday.

The ruling comes nearly three years after prosecutors said Ronaldo would face no charges in Las Vegas in connection with a 10-year-old sexual assault allegation because the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit in September 2018 in state court in Nevada accusing Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel penthouse suite in 2009, then paying her $375,000 in hush money.

Ronaldo, who plays for Premier League club Manchester United, has maintained he is innocent.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey kicked the case out of court on Friday over the way documents were obtained.

The judge said that dismissing a case outright with no option to file it again is a severe sanction, but that Ronaldo had been harmed by the conduct of the woman’s lawyer, Leslie Mark Stovall.

“I find that the procurement and continued use of these documents was bad faith,” the judge said in her ruling.

“Simply disqualifying Stovall will not cure the prejudice to Ronaldo because the misappropriated documents and their confidential contents have been woven into the very fabric of (the plaintiff’s) claims.

“Harsh sanctions are merited.”

Source: REUTERS

Football: Zidane’s adviser says talk of PSG coaching job ‘unfounded’

Football: Zidane’s adviser says talk of PSG coaching job ‘unfounded’

Zinedine Zidane’s adviser denied on Friday that the former France great is set to replace Mauricio Pochettino as Paris St Germain’s coach next season.

Earlier on Friday, French radio station Europe 1 reported that Zidane would immediately take over, without citing any source.

“All these rumours that are circulating are unfounded,” Alain Migliaccio, Zidane’s advisor, told sports daily L’Equipe.

“To this day, I am the only person allowed to represent and advise Zinedine Zidane. Neither Zinedine Zidane nor myself have been contacted directly by the owner of PSG.”

PSG were not available for comment.

Pochettino, who was appointed 18 months ago, has failed to help the Ligue 1 club break new ground in the Champions League, with PSG being eliminated in the last 16 by Real Madrid this season.

They wrapped up the Ligue 1 title in April to secure their only trophy of the campaign.

Zidane, 49, has been without a club since he departed Real Madrid at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Source: REUTERS

2023 AFCON Qualifiers: Toko Ekambi powers Cameroon past Burundi, Kone sees red in Mali win

2023 AFCON Qualifiers: Toko Ekambi powers Cameroon past Burundi, Kone sees red in Mali win

The Indomitable Lions began their journey to Cote d’Ivoire 2023 on a winning note, while the Eagles saw off the Bright Stars

Cameroon commenced their journey toward qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on a winning note by defeating Burundi 1-0 on Thursday.

Karl Toko Ekambi’s strike at the half-hour mark was all the Indomitable Lions needed to cruise to victory inside the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The 2021 Afcon hosts started the encounter on a flying note, and they dominated every department.

Their dominance paid off in the 30th minute when the Olympique Lyon striker curled a fine free-kick after Vincent Aboubakar was fouled at the edge of the box.

Cameroon came close to doubling their lead at the stroke of half-time when Aboubakar met a cross from the right, but his header came off outside of the bar.

The visitors continued to dominate and they had another chance to increase the lead seven minutes after the hour mark as Eric Maxim Choupo Moting missed from close range.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Swallows tried to bolster their attack, but they were unable to get past the Cameroonian backline.

In the end, it was Rigobert Song’s men who claimed all the points at stake in the Group C fixture.

Elsewhere, Mali recorded a 3-1 victory over South Sudan at St. Mary’s Stadium-Kitende, Entebbe.

The hosts took a shock lead in the 29th minute after Kiki Kouyate turned the ball inside his own net.

Mohamed Camara put the visitors back on level terms in the 58th minute after he was set up by El Bilal Toure.

The Eagles’ ambition of securing victory suffered a massive setback after Ibrahima Kone was sent off in the 78th minute after elbowing Rashid.

Regardless, they took the lead in the 93rd minute through super-sub Sekou Koita after heading home a Mousa Djenepo cross.

Before the final whistle, Al Ahly’s Aliou Dieng found the net after being set up by Nene Dorgeles.

With the win, Mali top Group G with six points while South Sudan remain bottom after back to back losses.

Source: Goal.com

Football: Paris police chief admits ‘failure’ after Champions League fiasco

Football: Paris police chief admits ‘failure’ after Champions League fiasco

The head of Paris police acknowledged on Thursday the “failure” of security operations for the Champions League final last month and apologised for tear-gassing supporters as they tried to enter the stadium.

The football showpiece hosted by Paris on May 28 was marred by scenes of mayhem as Liverpool fans struggled to enter the stadium for the match against Real Madrid, raising questions over the capacity of the French capital to host the 2024 Olympics.

“It is obviously a failure,” Didier Lallement told a commission investigating the fiasco at the French Senate. “It was a failure because people were pushed around and attacked. It’s a failure because the image of the country was undermined.”

He said he was “sorry” for authorising the use of tear gas to move supporters away from the stadium before the match, but added that there was “no other means” of relieving the growing pressure at the gates. “We needed to get people to move back,” Lallement explained. “We asked people to move back, then we used tear-gas… it’s the only way to our knowledge of moving a crowd back, except for a baton charge.”

He encouraged supporters from Liverpool and Real Madrid to file complaints if they were victims of counterfeited tickets or street crime outside the stadium “so that we can find the guilty parties and prosecute them.” Lallement was also pressed on controversial figures given by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin who blamed the presence of 30-40,000 supporters without tickets or with fake tickets for the disorder at the stadium and delays to the game.

The police chief said he was responsible for the figure and he based it on numbers given by Paris transport operators and “feedback” from officers on the ground. “Perhaps I made a mistake with the figure I gave to the minister,” he said. “I never claimed that it was absolutely accurate.”

He acknowledged that there were not 30-40,000 “at the gates of the stadium” but maintained that many thousands were in the vicinity. These claims have infuriated Liverpool supporters, as well as senior British politicians, who have accused France of unfairly trying to deflect the blame away from the police.

Mayor of the Liverpool city region Steve Rotheram is due to testify to the Senate commission later on Thursday.

Source: AFP

Indomitable Lions to camp in Oman to train for 2022 FIFA World Cup

Indomitable Lions to camp in Oman to train for 2022 FIFA World Cup

Cameroon, which has played eight FIFA World Cups, more than any other African team, is preparing to set up a training camp in Oman, ahead of the Qatar World Cup.

The team has submitted an official request to camp in Sohar to prepare for the World Cup, which will be held from November 21 to December 18.

A statement issued by Sohar Club said, ‘The Cameroon national team has submitted a request to set up its camp in the wilayat of Sohar, North Batinah governorate, for the World Cup. The team will hold its training camp from November 10 to 19.’

Oman, led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is making all the arrangements to open its doors for teams that have qualified for Qatar to hold camps in the sultanate. The move is seen as a win-win situation for both the teams and the sultanate.

An official in the ministry informed that there is coordination with Oman Football Association to attract a few teams to camp in the sultanate to acclimatise before the start of the tournament. He confirmed that Oman has sports facilities of international standards that will help the teams prepare well for the tournament.

Led by coach Rigobert Song, Cameroon has been drawn with Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland in Group G in this World Cup. While the Africans have never faced the two European sides in the tournament before, they have played Brazil twice losing on both occasions – 1994 and 2014.

Source: Muscat Daily

Football: Milner the Great signs new contract at Liverpool

Football: Milner the Great signs new contract at Liverpool

Veteran midfielder James Milner has signed a new one-year contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

Since arriving on a free transfer in 2015, Milner has helped Jurgen Klopp’s team win six major honours, including the Champions League and Premier League.

Liverpool were chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the 2021/22 season after winning both domestic cups but finished a point behind Premier League champions Manchester City and lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Milner, whose contract was due to expire later this month, has played 289 games and scored 26 goals since arriving at Anfield from Manchester City.

He made 39 appearances last season, although only 14 were starts, and it is reported he has accepted a contract on significantly reduced personal terms.

The former England midfielder is understood to have turned down offers from the Premier League and overseas in order to stay at Anfield.

Milner, who made his Premier League debut for Leeds in 2002, has played at full-back and in midfield under Klopp,

“I’m very pleased to be staying for another season,” he told Liverpoolfc.com. “I have never taken playing for this club for granted and I never will.

“An overriding feeling for me — and a vitally important one in the process — was the belief I can still contribute to the team. The gaffer was clear what he thought and that was a big factor in me extending my contract.”

He added: “Last season was extraordinary, even though it didn’t have the ending we hoped it would. But I think that will only make us all even hungrier for more success.”

Five Liverpool players — Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain — are about to enter the final 12 months of their existing contracts.

While negotiations have dragged on with Salah, fellow forward Sadio Mane is reportedly attracting interest from Bayern Munich.

Source: AFP

Nine-year-old Cameroonian photographer excites fans with Indomitable Lions photos

Nine-year-old Cameroonian photographer excites fans with Indomitable Lions photos

The youngster became an internet sensation after pictures of her covering the Cameroon national team in camp went viral online

Nine-year-old Cameroonian Fleur Randa could be the youngest sports photographer in Africa, if not the world.

Randa became an internet sensation on Friday after photos of her covering the Cameroon national team training went viral after they were shared online.

Drawing inspiration from her father Kendji Nick Lionel, who is also a professional photographer, Randa accompanies her dad as they travel around with the Indomitable Lions while taking quality photos.

Randa became passionate about photography after closely watching and following her father to numerous sports events and learning from him before perfecting the art.

A photo of her sharing her work with the Cameroon players, led by Inter Milan-bound goalkeeper Andre Onana, excited fans online as the Indomitable Lions stars seemed intrigued and surprised by her work.

Source: Goal.com

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