Rigobert Song Bows Out from International Action
The emblematic captain of the Indomitable Lions has convened a press conference to make clear his intentions next Sunday.
After close to sixteen years with the national team, the emblematic captain of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon has decided to put an end to his international career. Song’s decision is no surprise as he has been under pressure to retire from the squad even before the world cup in South Africa and some say the decision is not unconnected to the disgraceful performance of the Indomitable Lions in the tournament. Known for his defensive skills, Song will be remembered for his exemplary spirit of patriotism and ability to spur his team mates to action in the face of adversity. His dreadlocks looks for over a decade represented the image and spirit of the lion after which the national team is christened.
Considered as a key player for Cameroon, Rigobert Song has appeared in 8 CAF Africa Cup of Nations serving a record five times as captain of the Lion’s squad and also holds the record of most consecutive games played in the tournament with 35 first team games. He won two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002. In 2009 the defender was dropped as captain of the Cameroonian national team by Coach, Paul Le Guen, who eventually appointed Samuel Eto’o as the new on-pitch leader. Song also holds the record of the most capped player in the history of the Cameroon national team and has played in four World Cups, in 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2010 and two Confederations Cup finals.
A native of Nkenglikock, Song started his professional career with Tonnerre in 1993 but failed to make any appearances for the club. A year later, he moved to Metz and helped the club to win the French League Cup back in 1996. After appearing at the 1998 World Cup he left Italy, where he signed for Salernitana, to start successive stints with Liverpool, West Ham United and Cologne but after failing to hold a first-team place, he returned to France to play for RC Lens. He stayed there until 2004 and moved on to Turkey, where he spent four years with Galatasaray, winning two Turkish League titles and the Turkish Cup. Song then signed a contract with Trabzonspor in 2008, where he won another Turkish Cup and stayed until 2010.
Along with Zinedine Zidane, Song is the only player to have been sent off in two different World Cups, once against Brazil in USA 94 and once against Chile in France 98. He also holds the record as youngest player ever to be sent off in a World Cup, aged 17.
Cameroon Tribune
Good ideas,we shall remember you for your good performances,wait and have the post of second roaming ambassdor as MILA.many of your fans will miss you,
You did a good job Song, but stayed in the team to long to tarnish part of your reputation. I will miss you, and hope you get a job promoting the sport.
LE GUEN’S PLAYER TRAFFICKING NETWORK
Written by: Francis Ajumane on 21st July 2010 – 58 views
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Was the Lions former head coach more interested in trafficking in players than obtaining good results for Cameroon?
As Cameroon searches for Paul Le Guen’s replacement after a horrendous World Cup campaign, it is time to take a flashback at the errors committed by the Frenchman so as to better define the profile of the person to head the lions in the days ahead.
It is but normal that the first reasons for any failure are first of all tactical but the unforeseen hand might be the most determinant factor that sunk the ship in the midst of the storm. Thus the Frenchman took a lot of controversial decisions that might even still affect the Cameroon national team even after his departure – some of these decisions just proved that he was more of a mercenary than a head coach.
To better understand some of his egoistic and egocentric actions, it is important to look far back at Paul Le Guen’s arrival at the helm of the Lions a year ago.
With a dire need to qualify for the World Cup, the Frenchman won the hearts of all by delivering the goods but took advantage of this success to walk away with the team’s dignity unchallenged by his employers.
He used the national team as a pipeline to shady transactions. And for this to be possible, he succeeded in side-lining nationals from the technical bench except Thomas Nkono who at that time looked harmless. (We reported this in our print edition in December 2009 through an interview with former Lions coach, Jules Nyongha.) But when the goalkeeping coach proved the contrary, Le Guen asked for his head.
Le Guen had thus succeeded in his first egoistic mission so was more comfortable with Yves Colleu, his assistant, Ribeiro as the logistics coordinator and to add more insult to the injury, even the medical staff was weaved up of Le Guen’s French friends with whom he had worked in Lyon, Glasgow Rangers and Paris Saint Germain. This was just the tip of the iceberg.
The Frenchman thus succeeded to build cocoon around his clique difficult for the press to penetrate.
However, the most aching was to be discovered too late. The Frenchman was more of a player agent than a head coach. Vincent Aboubakar, Ndy Assembe, Gaetang Bong were top on his list.
First of all Le Guen belongs to a network of player agents linked with French division one outfit, Valenciennes. The network in France is represented by a certain Fabrice Picot and Christian Mas, both of French nationality, while their representative in Cameroon was a certain Maxime Nana who has imposed himself on both the national and local scene as one of the most influential Cameroonian football agents.
About a dozen players in the final 23 of Le Guen’s World Cup list were his clients. Nana was the only player agent who used to take part in all Lions training sessions.
Le Guen-Picot-Nana was thus the trio that sacrificed Cameroon for their personal interests. After apparently losing grip of Abouna Ndzana, the young defence winger from Astres Douala, who went club-searching without their consent right after featuring in the Cameroon-Italy friendly in March, one of their best new catches was Vincent Aboubakar of Cotonsport Garoua.
During an MTN Elite 1 league game in Garoua between Cotonsport and Tiko United, Nana and Picot came to monitor the youngster and were impressed by his performance. That meant a great deal for them which was quickly facilitated by Iya Mohammed, Fecafoot president and chairman of the board of directors of Cotonsport.
To concretize their deal, Aboubakar had to go to the World Cup even at the expense of Dorg Kouemaha, though the youngster succeeded to defend his name and show promise.
In a recent interview in France, Aboubakar confirmed his decision to join Valenciennes was influenced by Paul Le Guen.
And then the famous Abouna Ndzana issue. Under pressure from the local media to integrate home-based players in the Lions’ squad, Le Guen quickly used this as an opportunity to once more play his dirty games.
For the friendly against Italy, because his other very lucrative duties as French TV consultant would not permit him travel to Cameroon to monitor home-based players, Le Guen rather dispatched Maxime Nana to do the job for him.
Those who followed MTN Elite 1 from the start could tell that Abouna Ndzana and Mabouka Massoussi both picked from Astres were not the best local defenders at the time they were selected for the friendly against Iytaly, but Nana who had secondary intentions proposed them to Le Guen.
After the Italy game, Abouna who had gained some measure of exposure as a result, on Nana in preference of an Ivorian player agent who led him to an unsuccessful spell in Norway. When Ndzana was reprimanded by Le Guen’s assistant, Colleu, many thought it was out of the normal concern by a coach to not let a young player go astray.
The truth about the whole issue is that this decision cost Abouna Ndzana his place in the final 23 man list. It is reported that Le Guen and his assistant disagreed over Ndzana’s non-selection for the World Cup, Colleu preferring Ndzana, while his boss went for Aurelien Chedjou who is Nana’s client, to punish the Astres boy for his Norway “betrayal”.
The young defender, who had been reassured by Colleu, could not hold back his tears when he was sidelined from the World Cup list. Not even words of comfort from Stephane Mbia who apparently understood the Valenciennes mafia could help Ndzana from bursting out publicly in Lienz, Austria.
Abouna Ndzana was only a minor victim. Many still wonder why Henri Bedimo did not even make it to Le Guen’s 30-man squad. The answer is simple, Le Guen’s friends from Valenciennes had given him Gaetang Bong of Valenciennes FC as their option as his participation at the World Cup could attract agents and give him a lucrative contract to their benefit thereafter.
Bedimo who had earlier preferred fellow Ligue 1 side, Lens over Valenciennes, was equally paying the price for breaking free from Le Guen’s mafia net.
Same fate for Georges Constant Mandjeck who had shunned offers from Valenciennes to leave Bundesliga side Stuttgart. He preferred to join rivals, Stade Rennais after seeking advice from Stephane Mbia. The young midfielder was relegated to the bench after being played on the ring wing of the defence during friendly games, not his favourite line up.
And what about Amour Patrick Tignyemb who was reportedly preferred by goalkeepers trainer Jacques Songo as third keeper, but to keep the faith with the Valenciennes network, Le Guen settled on Guy Roland Ndy Assembe, goalkeeper of Valenciennes.
So after all these reported shady deals and many more that plunged Cameroon into a quagmire, will it not be right to say Paul Le Guen’s egocentric interests cost Cameroon the World Cup? The Frenchman himself had confessed in his resignation press conference that his main failure stems from poor choices on his World Cup pre-selection. Le Guen and his contingent of mercenaries ran the Cameroon national team as if it was a football club – Lyon or Glasgow Rangers or Paris Saint Germain.
As the MINSEP-FECAFOOT mixed closes in on the choice for the Lions next coach, it was important to pick and iron out the many failures of Paul Le Guen so establish the safeguards beforehand.
Francis Ajumane
its ok even if it came a little bit late.you were not the type zebras and antelopes could dance infront of you.but of late you allowed them mess you up.you symbolised couraged and absolute patriotism.
we younger footballers at the time always admired Grand Rigo.the emblatic team captain.nevertheless,thank you for everything positive you did to this team..
I still remember you as a young player whose team Fc Metz donated sports quipment s to our sick and disorganised national in1995.but one correction,please,learn to leave things before things leave you
Cameroon’s World Cup exit: A tactical perspective
Written by: admin on 21st June 2010 – 65 views
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There are many stories over what may have contributed to [Cameroon's] early exit but from a purely footballing perspective, this is the result of tactical blunders.
Paul Le Guen qualified the Indomitable Lions to this World Cup. He stuck to his chosen pattern (4-3-3) and ceaselessly chopped and changed his starting teams without necessarily coming up with a convincing plan B, regardless of criticism by pundits and the media.
When he deployed his men against Japan (in a match to be quickly forgotten), Cameroon lost 0-1 with Samuel Eto’o tucked on the right of a front trio while Arsenal’s Alex Song was on the bench, he faced a mini-revolution from the players and Cameroon officials.
He was forced to change tactics and play a 4-3-1-2 (or 4-4-2 daimond) against Denmark. Cameroon’s performance was better and they could have won the game but the squad was lopsided with extra men on the right and little or no support on the left where Assou-Ekotto was isolated (see picture below).
The midfield failed to shift to the left in support when he surged forward to support the attackers and the Danes looped the ball over into the space behind him. The second goal is a classic example of this problem.
Cameroon positions courtesy Zonal Marking
For a better understanding of this failure – you can visit Zonal Marking.
TACTICAL DISORGANISATION
What’s frightening is Le Guen’s inability to fix a problem which any keen observer had noticed within the first quarter hour of the game (I twitted about the problem as Denmark equalised). His half-time solution was to withdraw Enoh Eyong who seemed out of depth by fielding Jean Makoun. The latter’s dreadful cover for Assou-Ekotto in the Danish winning goal is a stark pointer to Le Guen’s poor substitutions.
He could have balanced the team by shifting Assou-Ekotto up to the midfield and replacing Enoh with Gaetan Bong who is a left back. We would have had a balanced team with a Geremi/Mbia pair on the right and an Assou-Ekotto/Bong pair on the left to keep the Danish wingmen (Dennis Rommedahl and Jesper Gronkjaer) blocked.
Le Guen realized he had bungled things after the Danes went ahead and he decided to finally bring on cover for Assou-Ekotto. It came in the shape of Idrissou Mohammadou (forward) for Sebastien Bassong (a centre-back)! The tactical shift caused by this change actually made Cameroon weaker because Mbia had to slide into centre-back and Geremi who was positioned high-up had to drop into right-back. This diminished Geremi’s support to the attack. As Geremi tried to maintain pressure, it looked as if Cameroon was playing a curious variant of 3-5-2 (or 3-4-3) but the attackers (Eto’o, Idrissou, Webo) were all muddled up and Emana (the playmaker) was lost.
The coach therefore had to fix things again. He chose to replace Webo (who should not have started the game in my opinion) with the young Aboubacar Vincent. The 18-year-old Cotonsport Garoua attacker gave an admirable account of himself but the whole team was disorganised by this time.
Dis-organisation has become synonymous to Cameroon’s play once they concede a goal. They lose shape and the coach is often lost in terms of his changes. He piles up big strikers like Idrissou and the team starts launching long balls to the front as against Japan and the team usually ends up with four or five attackers no midfield cover and players trying to be one-man-national heroes.
That has been the Lions’ trademark in 2010 with an average of 2 goals conceded per match; in 5 defeats (0-1 to Gabon, 1-3 to Egypt, 1-3 to Portugal, 3-4 to Serbia), 4 draws (0-0 with Italy, 0-0 with Georgia, 1-1 with Slovakia) for just 2 games won 3-1 over Kenya and 3-2 over Zambia.
Ill-ADAPTED TACTICS
Le Guen had the laudable initiative of re-building Cameroon’s national team by injecting talented youngsters and encouraging entertaining and effective football. The games against Austria, Gabon, Togo and Morocco in 2009 made the project look plausible. Unfortunately the Frenchman failed to see that the country’s current crop of players (or those he chose for the World Cup) could not fit in his lofty pattern.
Since the reign of Yugoslav (or generally eastern European) coaches ended in the 1980s (with the exception of Valeri Nepiomiachi in1989-1990) the Indomitable Lions mainly play a physical game pegged on counter-attacks. The team waits, defends tightly, breaks swiftly to score and recoils into defence mode (see Cameroon vs Ghana 2008).
Such tactics have also persevered because most players in Cameroon are developed for the international market – which needs big, strong midfielders and central defenders and not witty dribblers and ball players like Abega Theophile, Mbida Gregoire or M’Fede Louis Paul of old. Few good strikers have emerged in Cameroon since Samuel Eto’o and the country lacks winger, wing-backs and full-backs of international quality.
The former PSG and Rangers coach should have built Cameroon as a 4-5-1 unit that relies on taking teams on the counter and is hard to beat.
Winfried Schaffer organized the squad in such a manner at the Confederations Cup in 2003. They reached the final of the tournament after scoring only 3 goals, with three 1-0 victories and a scoreless draw with the U.S. They lost to France (0-1) via a Thierry Henri golden goal after the Lions had held out for 110 notwithstanding the tragedy of Foe’s death.
In the current state of Cameroon football where the local leagues and clubs are in shambles, proper youth development is abysmal; any coach who wants to obtain results tends to adapt to such counter-offensive formations (except Arthur Jorge in 2006). Had Le Guen re-adapted his tactics in January, he would not have left the talented youngsters he’s brought to the squad in limbo.
George Esunge Fominyen, This is SPORT Editor-at-Large (Blogger Gef’s Football Club)
this are the kind of things cameroonians willl learn to correct and only then can we meet our full potentials
thank you manyak!
Congratulations Manyang! You were a true captain and symbol of the lions!!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! In those days of SONG in the defense as captain. “ ball no di pass“ Thanks for your patriotism!
Thank you grand Rigo for the service you have rendered for the nation. You were a true lion who roared in the dent and made Cameroonians proud.
God bless u bro…u served ur country with love….good luck bro…
Good luck and God bless…
hey grand Rogo i wish u the best
Bravo Rigo good bye,good luck and longlife God bless u
You did just what was expected of a true patriot. your name no doubt has earned a place in the history of football not only in Cameroon and you’ll be remembered for your achievements. You were a good example for others to ameliorate. God bless you
song wish you the best of luck in your future, hope the gov’t create another sport possition for you back home,God Bless you.
Hi Grand Rigo good Bye. Eto’o bought your captain band from Le Guen we have been told. The captainship you should have been handing it over honourable, problem then, Eto’o should know that he too would one day go on retirement. Diouf did it In Senegal when he was aa his pick but the day they dropped him from the team he was shocked.
Good bye grand Rigo
Rigo,i hope you come out of you retirement as others do,we still need you,you played with “rage”(courage)something i have never seen with any lion,you have a place in the national team forever,you were an example,i will remember you forever and my first child name will be RIGO????????????????? never do what you did since he thought money can buy everything
Rigo,
At 34yrs you are still young.I know how you feel with your fans out there especially after the CAN.In every profession there are ups and downs,i will wish to tell you that you left a good print in the National team.I’m proud of your achievments in the national team and i will wish all the best as you retaire.
LONG OVERDUE!!!!