Cameroon (National Football)

Update from Wednesday, July 2

FIFA has issued a short response to the recent match-fixing investigation launched by Cameroon's football federation in relation to allegations made against several of its players.

The Telegraph's Henry Winter provided the brief update:

 Richard Conway of BBC Sport passes along information FIFA is requesting:

Original Text

The ethics committee of Cameroon's football federation has announced it is investigating claims that "seven bad apples" from the national team may have been involved in match-fixing at the World Cup.

As reported by BBC Sport, the African nation's governing body has been forced into an immediate response after a "convicted match-fixer" spoke of Cameroon's downfall at the tournament—which included three losses—in a German newspaper.

Cameroon's FA gave the following statement:

Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon's 2014 Fifa World Cup three preliminary games, especially Cameroon versus Croatia, as well of the 'existence of seven bad apples [in our national team]' do not reflect the values and principles promoted by our administration, in line with Fifa's code of conduct and the ethics of our nation.

The country's federation said it intends to "resolve this disruptive matter in the shortest delays." While FIFA decided against commenting on this particular investigation, the governing body did say, "We take any allegations of match manipulation very seriously," per BBC Sport.

Jamie Trecker of Fox Soccer weighed in on the allegations:

Agence France-Presse (via Yahoo Eurosport) indicated the situation arose after a Singaporean match-fixer predicted Cameroon's 4-0 loss to Croatia before it took place on June 18, while also indicating an Indomitable Lions player would be red-carded in the first half.

Alex Song was dismissed five minutes before half-time for elbowing Mario Mandzukic in the back, an incident which appeared to arise from nothing. On Twitter, Yahoo Singapore posted an image of the match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal:

However, Perumal issued a statement denying the claims via investigative reporting site Invisible Dog:

Contrary to the 'revelations' published by the German weekly Der Spiegel that were picked up by news outlets worldwide, I did not predict the result of the Cameroon vs Croatia match played on June 18, 2014.

The Facebook chat with the Der Spiegel journalist took place a few days after the match - June 21st, as confirmed by my Facebook log - and was but an informal assessment of the behavior of the Cameroon team at the Brazil 2014 World Cup after they had played two of their three group stage matches, including the one with Croatia.

At no time did I make reference to four goals being scored or to a red card being issued. At no time did I suggest that I had any way of corroborating or substantiating what was meant to be an educated guess based on my extensive match-fixing experience. Last but not least: at no time was I informed by the Der Spiegel journalist that our chat was going to end up in the German publication.

I am shocked and amazed that a respected magazine such as Der Spiegel would go so far as to fabricate statements by yours truly with the visible aim of stirring the row over match-fixing. I apologize to the Cameroon FA and to its fans if I inadvertently offended them; it was not my intention. I strongly believe that Der Spiegel should also do the same since they placed words in my mouth that I did not utter.

Following the release of my match-fixing memoir "Kelong Kings" there has been a lot of media hype on the subject of manipulation in football. Kelong Kings has lifted the veil on over three decades of match-fixing at all levels of the game, including World Cup Qualifiers, Olympic matches and the 2010 World Cup warm-up friendlies played in South Africa. Kelong Kings has even prompted FIFA, via the NY Times, to release a report that it had kept in a drawer for two years in a late, clumsy attempt to make the revelations contained in Kelong Kings their own.

I am now back in Hungary where I have testified against my former associates in a local match-fixing trial. Kelong Kings is an honest account of what my life has been like until today. I have now turned a new leaf and wish to put my expertise at the disposal of those willing to truly fight the scourge of match-fixing. When the time is ripe I will share what I know with FIFA and UEFA, but I will not accept that my statements be manipulated at the detriment of others.

Perumal's reported hit list of matches influenced spans the globe. FIFA believes he "is responsible for fixing matches in several countries, standing to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal profits," according to a report from Heidi Blake of The Daily Telegraph, published in 2011.

Initially jailed in 1995 for match-fixing, Perumal was also charged in 2000 for attacking a member of Singapore's Woodlands Wellington team in order to lessen their chances of winning. In 2009, he became a wanted man in the Asian nation after running over a police officer.

He is said to be linked with major match-fixing occurrences in Finland, which he may have initiated after fleeing Singapore and moving to England. In Kelong Kings, Perumal's book of memoirs, it is claimed he failed to bribe former Birmingham City goalkeeper Ian Bennett and Chelsea counterpart Dmitri Kharine, per Ben Rumsby of The Daily Telegraph.

Perumal also claims he helped Nigeria and Honduras reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa by rigging their qualifying matches, per Owen Gibson of The Guardian. Cameroon may be the next in line for the internationally recognised match-fixer.

The African nation were engulfed in a bonus payment dispute prior to the tournament and refused to fly to Brazil shortly before matches were to begin, as reported by The Guardian. Cameroon lost 1-0 to Mexico in their opening match, which saw Giovani dos Santos have two rightful goals ruled out. Five days after this came the Croatia match in which the team imploded its way to a 4-0 loss.

Song's red card appeared to be an act of stupidity. The experienced Barcelona man raked his elbow down the back of Mandzukic during an innocuous incident away from play, giving the referee no choice but to brandish a red card.

By the match's conclusion, Benoit Assou-Ekotto had headbutted teammate Benjamin Moukandjo in another unsavoury moment away from the ball. Cameroon lost their final game 4-1 to hosts Brazil, thereby failing to register a single point throughout the competition.

Volker Finke's men put up little resistance in any of their displays. This certainly wasn't the energetic, grafting Cameroon style football fans have come to expect over the years, but it remains to be seen whether darker influences other than bad form infiltrated the squad.

Perumal's previous convictions and ongoing reputation ensures this matter will receive a speedy investigation. While neither Cameroon or Croatia progressed into the knockout stages, the tournament will be brought into disrepute if match-fixing is proven.

Mercifully, Cameroon’s World Cup campaign has come to an end.

Their summer started slowly and coagulated in the middle before winding down against Brazil.

In short, it never got off the ground.

There are two key questions on everyone’s lips.

The first—“Where did it all go wrong?”—has been tossed around for a while, and while many believe the answer involves a simple jab at a money-hungry, uninspired, self-seeking collective, the truth includes many facets.

Secondly, but not necessarily more productively, is, “Where do Cameroon go from here?”

What were the problems, and how do we solve them?

Well, as ever, there are micro-problems and there are macro-problems. Contending with the former would probably have helped Cameroon avoid defeat against Mexico, while dealing with the latter will ensure that future World Cup outings aren’t remembered for misplaced elbows and head-butt-happy left-backs.

Cameroon’s main strength heading into this competition, certainly in my eyes at least, was their impressive roster of defensive players.

The Indomitable Lions have more competent centre-backs, composed full-backs and resilient destructive midfielders than any squad really needs. Indeed, manager Volker Finke cut the likes of Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik and Gaetan Bong before the tournament, and he didn’t even consider Sebastien Bassong or Frank Bagnack.

It came as a great surprise, therefore, when Finke chose to name Cedric Djeugoue as his starting right-back in the opener against Mexico.

Here is a player who had played only two matches for the full national side before the World Cup, and indeed, was even playing in the Chadian league as recently as 2012. Despite his inexperience, Djeugoue was named as starting right-back ahead of the likes of Allan Nyom and Stephen Mbia.

It was a perverse decision.

Djeugoue’s uncertainty was evident from the off as Mexico flooded the flanks. His indecision in the face of the dual onslaught from Miguel Layun and Andres Guardado forced Benjamin Moukandjo, the winger ahead of him, to stay back and essentially perform Djeugoue’s duties for him.

For large parts of the match, Cameroon were playing a back six. They thus lost their attacking outlets (a problem exacerbated by having a midfield devoid of creativity) and were unable to alleviate the Mexican pressure.

Djeugoue was replaced at half-time, having failed to make any tackles or win any aerial battles. Finke had clearly seen the error of his ways, but by then it was too late, the pattern of the match had been established and Mexico soon broke the deadlock.

When Nyom and Henri Bedimo (the two full-backs who many expected to start for Cameroon) finally returned to the starting line-up for the dead rubber against Brazil, they demonstrated, in glimpses, what they were capable of.

Bedimo had a 100 percent tackle success rate, succeeded with three of his four attempted take-ons and completed 22 of 24 attempted passes.

Nyom, on the right flank, was less influential but still made three successful clearances, a crucial interception and completed 24 of 27 attempted passes.

It’s hard to argue El Tri wouldn’t have won had Finke not experimented with his defence against Mexico, but, by the same token, it’s difficult to rationalise how his decision to play a back four that had never before been on the pitch together was wise.

Cameroon were still alive, though, and the mood in the camp would surely have been transformed had Moukandjo’s late header beaten Memo Ochoa. The injury suffered by Samuel Eto’o in this game also robbed the Lions of their talismanic player, even if his influence was rightly questioned.

It is, in the words of Vincent Vega, all about the little differences.

The macro-problem of the team’s spirit and its collective mood is much harder to legislate for. How can one purge a culture when that culture emanates from the squad’s principle performers?

In other teams, in other nations, one might simply cull the trouble-makers, but Cameroon do not necessarily have the reservoirs of talent to exclude Alex Song, for example, and hope to replace all that he offers (even if it has been obscured in recent times).

Replacing the aura of 33-year-old Eto’o—both the good and bad—will be harder still.

There are, of course, green shoots, and the vast majority of Africa’s nations will still look enviously upon the Central Africans’ massed ranks of talent.

The two most prominent names are Joel Matip and Vincent Aboubakar, a defender of great poise and a striker with explosive qualities. Neither man featured in the opener, but they were the stand-out performers in the final game. It was, perhaps, a pertinent demonstration of the side’s impending evolution.

Other key figures, Nicolas N’Koulou, Nyom, Song, Moukandjo and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, are all 26 or under, while exciting youngsters such as Fabrice Olinga, Jean Marie Dongou and the aforementioned Bagnack have been explored, to varying degrees, by Finke.

Should the manager retain his position—and that is far from certain after the summer’s dismal display—the focus will be on the impending African Cup of Nations qualifying series.

The Indomitable Lions will face the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and one of Sierra Leone or the Seychelles in their group. Their first two matches are away in Kinshasa and at home against the Elephants.

Whether it’s Finke at the helm or someone else, Cameroon need to hit the ground running after such bitter disappointment; the ugly scenes of this summer must be consigned to history.

After the 2010 World Cup, when the Indomitable Lions were the first side to be eliminated, the national side fell into a downward spiral. They failed to qualify for both the 2012 and the 2013 AFCON competitions (being beaten by Cape Verde in the second instance) and very nearly failed to qualify for this summer’s tournament as well.

Cameroon know the solitude of the international wilderness better than most. If this summer, and the demolition against Croatia, was the nadir, then the renovation and evolution cannot start soon enough.

Stats via FourFourTwo StatsZone.

Updates from Friday, June 13

Mark Gleeson of Reuters has the latest on the dispute:

In an open letter to the Cameroon people, Eto'o said last weekend's strike - which included refusing to accept a symbolic flag from the prime minister and delaying their departure for Brazil by almost a day in a haggle over World Cup money - was a search for "improvements that will benefit future generations".

"I fought for what I believe to be legitimate: the right of my team mates for their bonuses so that they can give the best of themselves for their country," said Eto'o ahead of Cameroon's opening Group A match against Mexico in Natal on Friday.

[...]

"There have been misunderstandings, certainly. However, we are satisfied with a happy end. We hope that all those who were offended by our insistence are able to forgive us," Eto'o, 33, added in the letter distributed to reporters on Friday.

Updates from Sunday, June 8

According to BBC Sport, the Cameroonian team has settled their wage dispute:

The squad took off from Yaounde 12 hours late and was scheduled to touch down in Brazil on Sunday evening.

Team coach Volker Finke had said players were complaining that the £61,000 they were due to be paid for figuring in the World Cup was not enough.

After agreeing an end to the row, Cameroon Football Federation president Joseph Owona said: "Everything has been resolved.

"We have opted for transparency. There is no problem and I think the team needs to be mobilised for all to look in one direction."

Original Text

A FIFA World Cup already rocked by riots and issues with infrastructure in the host nation has received another blow, as Cameroon's players are refusing to make the trip to Brazil.

The bizarre incident, reported by French publication L'Equipe and relayed by Eurosport UK, revolves around the players' bonus pay for participation in the tournament.

According to Eurosport UK, L'Equipe claims the Cameroonian government has yet to meet its players' demands:

L'Equipe are reporting that the squad played their recent friendly matches in the hope that the issue of their share of FIFA's bonus money would be resolved before the World Cup began.

But the Cameroonian government's most recent offers have still not proved satisfactory, causing greater and greater disquiet. This week the players refused to take the national flag from the prime minister in their traditional pre-tournament ceremony, forcing coach Volker Finke to step in to avoid too much public embarrassment.

And now it seems that the squad have opted to stay in their hotel rather than heading to the airport, despite supporters urging them to get on the plane.

This has created an ugly stand-off between the players and their federation, and it is one that is going to likely require FIFA's intervention.

International football's governing body had better move quickly to find a solution; Cameroon are in the same group as host nation Brazil, who kick off the tournament against Croatia on Thursday.

Unlike in previous tournaments, the African nation is not expected to have much of an impact. Finke's squad is still heavily reliant on the exploits of veteran striker Samuel Eto'o.

But the 33-year-old will need quality support from FC Lorient attacker Vincent Aboubakar, assuming the squad actually gets on the plane to Brazil, of course.

Count on that happening eventually, as this incident is not without precedent. In 2002, the players' pay was not even guaranteed on the eve of the tournament, per The Telegraph.

In that instance, it took a presidential intervention to resolve the dispute, as The Telegraph noted:

The Indomitable Lions were expected at Nakatsue last Sunday, but players refused to travel because their World Cup pay had not been guaranteed.

Cameroon president Paul Biya then intervened for that problem to be resolved late on Tuesday afternoon and the team left Paris' Charles de Gaulle shortly before midnight on their chartered B757 flight.

After a stopover in Bombay, the journey resumed this morning but, according to reports in the French press, had to land in Bangkok because the pilot had not received clearance to fly over Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

There was an ominous precursor to this year's incident when the Cameroonian FA cancelled the team's final preparation game before the tournament, against Guatemala, without reason, per Eurosport UK.

With the 2014 World Cup opening on Thursday and Cameroon scheduled to play Mexico the day after, all interested parties need to act fast to settle this alleged dispute.

Tap Here to add the Cameroon Stream and follow the Indomitable Lions’ World Cup Run.

Normally, only the most prolific of forwards are remembered long after their days of influence have passed. However, every now and again a forward without a superlative scoring record is recalled due to the sheer impact and pertinence of their contribution.

Roger Milla is one such frontman.

His scoring record with Cameroon (28 goals in 102 games) and with French clubs Bastia (35 in 113), Valenciennes (six in 28), Monaco (two in 17), Montpellier (37 in 95) and Saint-Etienne (31 in 59) is admirable without being breath-taking, but he is, nonetheless, revered by Cameroonians to this day, and admired still as one of Africa’s finest-ever strikers.

Why is this the case?

As Ian Hawkey recalled inthe excellent Feet of the Chameleon, legendary manager Claude Le Roy was one of many to commend Milla. “A diamond” was how Le Roy reminisced about the forward, suggesting that as far as technique was concerned, there were few that could ever outshine the iconic forward.

Milla was of that rare breed of player who could change the complexion and the outcome of a game with a moment of genius or a flash of inspiration. One such occasion came in an African Champions League knockout tie against Conakry-based heavyweights Hafia FC.

With Leopard labouring at half-time, trailing 2-0, the Douala side sought a hero and certainly found one. Milla scored a second-half hat-trick as his team cruised to a 4-2 victory. It was an early example of a talent that would go on to grace the greatest stage of the game.

Beyond having the ability to change a game with a burst of pace or a moment of genius, Milla is also famed for his longevity. With a career that touched four decades and spanned 34 years, he is a player who, more than most, could be considered ageless.

It is quite fitting that, to this day, he still holds the records for being both the World Cup’s oldest-ever player and its oldest-ever goalscorer—having scored against Russia in 1994 at the remarkable age of 42 years and 39 days.

The World Cup is where Milla’s legacy was forged, and even despite his admirable scoring exploits, it was at the global centrepiece that he truly etched his name into the sport’s history. At 38, he was the figurehead in the Indomitable Lions side that made such an impact at the 1990 World Cup.

In Italy, the Africans were massive outsiders, little known outside their home continent. Few gave them any chance of success in their opener against holders Argentina, but after marking Diego Maradona out of the game, the Cameroonians gave themselves a platform to play from and upset the odds with a glorious 1-0 victory.

From there, they had history in their sights—topping the group after another victory, against Romania, before advancing to the quarterfinals where much-fancied England required extra time (and a few dubious goals) to get past the West Africans.

Despite the eventual disappointment of elimination, Cameroon returned home as heroes, having broken the threshold of African sides and gone further than any side from the continent had ever done previously.

Milla, who scored four in the competition, was feted as a hero, and even at such a ripe old age, was one of the most impressive strikers present in Italy. He also contributed to two iconic World Cup moments: firstly, his awareness and assertiveness to close down, dispossess and embarrass maverick Colombian keeper Rene Higuita in the second round; and also, his memorable goal-celebration, the jig around the corner flag that has been much-replicated in subsequent years.

Despite these unforgettable exploits, Milla was by no means the perfect player; his temper was legendary, and the ease with which he would flare up led to him receiving the moniker "Gaddafi"—a reference to Libya’s temperamental president.

Since his playing career ended in 1999, Milla’s irascibility and flammable attitude have occasionally led him into controversy. Despite some sterling work as an ambassador for a myriad African causes, Milla’s influence with his own football federation was curtailed in 2012.

Things have been going downhill for the Indomitable Lions for years. Despite a generation of talented players including the likes of Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sebastien Bassong, Joel Matip, Stephane Mbia and Nicolas Nkoulou, and headlined by the sublime talents of Samuel Eto’o, the Indomitable Lions have been hamstrung by upheaval and have been conspicuous in their absence from the last two Africa Cups of Nations.

Milla was not slow to criticise the federation of which he was previously honorary president, and after openly lambasting the management and organisation of the national side, he was dismissed from his post last spring.

With Cameroonian football once again coming into the headlines for all the wrong reasons, after advertising for the job of national team manager without notifying the incumbent Jean-Paul Akono, the absence of men like Milla—figures who enjoy a relationship with the populace and who hold the best wishes of the nation’s football close to their heart—is even more devastating.

While his eternal legacy will surely be forged on his World Cup sojourn in 1990, and his record-breaking return four years later, perhaps Milla could be one man capable of making a genuine impact today and of returning some semblance of majesty to a national federation that has been shambolic for far too long.