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Cameroon’s new manager drops China-based players

Tuesday August 21 2018
seedorf

Cameroon’s new head coach Clarence Seedorf. He has dropped two China-based players from his first squad. AFP PHOTO | YASUYOSHI CHIBA

By NDI EUGENE NDI

Cameroon’s new head coach Clarence Seedorf has dropped two China-based players from his first squad saying Chinese and Asian leagues are not tough enough.

Captain Benjamin Moukandjo and AFCON 2017 Most Valuable Player Christian Bassogog have been dropped from the 23-man squad to face Comoros in a 2019 AFCON qualifier next month.

“We want to focus on players that are playing in main leagues and main clubs. What we are not going to consider is that 20-year-old player who prefers to go to China and many other places which we don’t consider the main leagues today,” said Seedorf.

Moukandjo plays Beijing Renhe FC while striker Bassogog plays for Henan Jianye FC.

The two played a key role when Cameroon clinched their fifth AFCON title in Gabon early last year.

Seedorf said good players play for the best clubs in Europe and appear in top competitions like the Champions League.

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“If you are 20-year-old and have talent, you should be playing for Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus, Chelsea or Manchester. Those players [in China] have shown their mentality at a young age that they want to go for other stuff [lucrative contracts] and we are not going to consider them now,” added Seedorf.

Also noticeably absent from the squad is Olympique Marseille striker Clinton Njie.

Wolfsburg forward Paul-Georges Ntep, 26, is also set to make his debut with the Indomitable Lions.

He is yet to switch nationality having played two friendlies for France in 2015.

Three players from the U-23 have been shortlisted to play for the team as former captain Nicholas Nkoulou is also expected to make a comeback.

The Indomitable Lions begin training in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 3 before leaving for Comoros on September 6 for the their match against Comoros on September 8.

The squad include;

Goalkeepers: Fabrica Ondoa (Oostende, Belgium), Andre Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Carlos Kameni (Fenerbahçe, Turkey)
Defenders: Collins Fai (Standard Liege, Belgium), Felix Eboa (Guingamp, France), Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo (Montpellier, France), Banana Yaya (Panionios, Greece), Jerome Onguene (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Gaetan Bong (Brighton, England), Allan Nyom (Leganes, Spain)
Midfielders: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Fulham, England), Georges Mandjeck (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Adrien Tameze (Nice, France), Pierre Kunde Malong (Mainz, Germany), Edgar Salli (Nuremberg, Germany)
Forwards: Fabrice Olinga (Mouscron, Belgium), Vincent Aboubakar (Porto, Portugal), Stephane Bahoken (Angers, France), Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting (Stoke City, England), Karl Toko Ekambi (Villareal, Spain), Paul-Georges Ntep (Wolfsburg, Germany), Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland).

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