International Football
Cameroon release World Cup play-off squad against Algeria 
Cameroon’s recently appointed coach has handed a first invitation to the country’s senior men’s national team to German-based holding midfielder Gaël Bella Ondoua. Rigobert Song has released a 38-man provisional squad for the Indomitable Lions’ Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff double-header later this March.
Ondoua is the only player preselected for the first time in the list of players dominated by TotalEnergies 2021 AFCON Bronze Medalists.
AFCON 2021 Golden Boot winner Vincent Aboubakar, spearheads the squad which also includes current UEFA top scorer Karl Toko Ekambi of Olympique Lyonnais in France.
The squad of four goalkeepers has 2017 AFCON winner and goalkeeper of the tournament Fabrice Ondoa alongside substitute goalkeeper of the 2021 competition. They are complemented by Congo-based Simon Omossola of AS Vita and Devis Epassy who has featured twice for Cameroon in the current FIFA World cup qualifier.
In defense, Song has picked 14 players, most of whom were at the last with the exception of Jean Claude Billong of Clermont in France and Sacha Boey of Turkish giants Galatasaray. Both players missed the AFCON because of injuries and return to compete for a spot with the likes of; deputy captain Michael Ngadeu, AFCON 2021 revelation Jean-Charles Castelletto, US-based Olivier Mbaizo, Jerome Onguene among others.
There is a bigger competition for spots in the midfield as all seven midfielders Song’s predecessor picked for the AFCON have new company in Jeando Fuchs who has been out of the team for over a year. Swansea City midfielder Olivier Ntcham who turned down a previous invitation in November 2019 is another of the returning options plus newcomers Gaël Bella Ondoua who is having a stellar season at German second tier side Hannover 96.
Cyprus base Arnaud Djoum- one of the midfield propeller of Cameroon’s fifth AFCON success in 2017, in Gabon is another notable figure returning to the team after as a midfield option.
Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Martin Hongla, Samuel Oum Gouet are the more established midfielders in the the squad.
Captain Vincent Aboubakar leads the eleven forward in the initial squad with Kevin Soni who is hoping to stay this time around, after he was left out of the AFCON squad.
Eight players in the team came through Song’s Under-23 squad of three years ago, seven of which participated at the 2019 Under-23 AFCON tournament in Egypt.
Record participants – Cameroon with seven appearances at the FIFA World cup face Algeria targeting a fifth appearance, on March 25 at the Japoma Stadium in the first-leg game before jetting to Algeria to face coach Djamel Belmadi’s Desert Foxes in the return game four days later, at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers
Ondoa Josep Fabrice (FK Auda, Lituania); Devis Epassy (OFI Crete, Greece); Simon Omossola ( Vita Club, DR Cong); Andre Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Holland)
Defenders:
Onguene Jerome ( RB Salzburg,Austria); Fai Collins (Al-Tai,Saudi Arabia); Moukoudi Harold (Saint Etienne, France); Sacha Boey (Galatasaray,Turkey); Tchamba Duplex (SønderjyskE, Danmark); Mbaizo Olivier (Union Philadelphia,USA); Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders,USA); Enzo Ebosse(SCO Angers;France); Jean Claude Billong (Clermont-France); Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui (Gent, Belgium); Jean Charles Castelleto (FC Nantes, France);
Midfielders:
Zambo Anguissa (Napoli, Italy); Neyou Yvan (Saint Etienne, France); Onana Jean Emile (Bordeaux-France); Djoum Arnaud (Apollon Limassol, Cyprus); Oum Gouet (KV Mechelen-Belgium); Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona-Italy); Kunde Malong (Olympiakos-Greece); Lea Siliki (Middlesbrough– England); Jeando Fuchs (Peterborough United, England); Olivier Ntcham (Swansea,England); Gaël Bella Ondoua- (Honnover 96-Germany)
Forwards:
Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon,France); Kévin Olivier Soni (Asteras Tripolis, Greece); Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland ): Leandre Tawamba (Al Taawoun, Saudi Arabia); Aboubakar Vincent (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Stephane Bahoken (SCO Angers, France); John Mary (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia); Njie Clinton (Dynamo Moscow, Russia); Ignatius Ganago (RC Lens, France); Eric Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich,Germany); Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenshua – China)
International Football
German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
International Football
Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
International Football
Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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