IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 41

• Oct 11, 2020
• IFFHS News

Picture : Eduardo Camavinga, the new young Star in France. He beats all records !

AGAIN A NEW RECORD FOR CAMAVINGA

 

Eduardo Camavinga, the new French Star, beats a new Record. In his second match with the France National Team against Ukraine, he scored his first goal at 17 years and 10 months ! It is the youngest French Player to score a goal since 106 years in the Football History. In 1914, Maurice Gastiger scored at 17 years and 156 days with France against Switzerland.

 

LAST TRANSFERS

 

Rafinha (Spain)  leaves FC Barcelona to join Paris St Germain (France)

 

 

Raphinha (Brazil) from Stade de Rennes (France) to Leeds United (England)

 

 

Douglas Costa (Brazil) from Juve (Italy) to FC Bayern (Germany)

 

 

Alex Telles (Portugal) from Porto to Manchester United (England)

 

 

Justin Kluivert (Nertherlands) from AS Roma (Italy) to RB Leipzig (Germany)

 

 

Federico Chiesa (Italy) from Fiorentina to Juve

 

 

Danilo Pereira (Portugal) from Porto to Paris St Germain (France)

 

 

Thomas Partey (Spain) from Atlético Madrid to Arsenal (Engalnd)

 

 

 

THE STORY OF CHRISTIANNA KIAMOU , NEW TRANSFER IN BERGAMO

 

 

At the beginning of the new season, Italian Serie B club Orobica Bergamo announced the arrival of Greek defender Christianna Kiamou from Hungarian club DVTK. However, most of the fans did not get the excitement until the first Orobica match. During the match they witnessed a class of perfection in the Orobica defense line. Kiamou stayed alone in the mighty Roman girls attack. Just before her first Serie - B match Christianna gave IFFHS an exclusive interview as below.

IFFHS Q:  We have read in a newspaper that you were born in Birmingham, England and playing for Greece. How does that happen?

Kiamou:  It is half true. Actually I was born in Greece. My Mom is from Birmingham and Dad is a Greek. I have both Nationalities. Yet I have never been in England or played there.

Kiamou:  My Ancestors are close to the football circle. Maternal side grandfather Ronald Jones played for Premier League Club Aston Villa. I never met him though he died before I was born. And my Greek grandfather was in the management of a Greek football team. I always played football with my twin brother. When he went to the Football academy, I too accompanied him. After 6 years I started to play in an all girls team in Kallithea. But my brother stopped playing.

Kiamou: To be honest Italy is more interesting and challenging. DVTK was challenging but I never felt it there. It was a very hard decision to leave Karditas after they reached the Champions league spot. Football in Italy is more competitive than Greece and Hungary. I think I am ready to face more challenges.

IFFHS Q: From an Under 17 National player to Senior team, a lot of work for it. How did you overcome the challenges to achieve success?

Kiamou: It was so difficult as seen. In Greece Women's football is not so popular. It makes me work hard to achieve my goals. I wished to play professional football abroad but my study forced me to stay in Greece. So I waited until my university finished to go and play abroad.

Kiamou: As you said, in Italy, their defensive football is strong. Referees leave the game more they do not have so many fouls. This game style really helps me as a defender.

Kiamou: The plan is playing for victory. Hopefully I can help them to win games and be champions so Orobica can be in Serie A again.

IFFHS Q: What is your opinion about Orobica Coach?

Kiamou: She is a good coach. As I know, she was a good player and an experienced coach. She has some different ideas from what I used to. I have been talking with her many times and practice for what exactly she wants from me. I think it is working well.

IFFHS Q: What are the changes you witnessed in Greek football after you start playing?

Kiamou: Much more changes are there, especially in the youth sector. They build many academies, something which I missed in my young days. 

IFFHS Q: What is your dream mission?

Kiamou: Playing in English FAWSL. That is why I work so hard to make it possible.

IFFHS Q: Who are your favorite players in football?

Kiamou: Lucy Bronze and Sergio Ramos, both are top class defenders. Also Rio Ferdinand was my childhood icon. Yes I love center backs. Bronze is so professional and a good character.

IFFHS Q: Tell me about your experience with Greek national team?

Kiamou: I played in the Under 17 Euro qualifier for Greece. After that I didn't play for the national team due to study and other personal reasons. So I have not much experience with the national team. Hopefully things have changed now, maybe I will go again one day.  

IFFHS Q: Tell us about you and your family?

Kiamou: I am half Greek and half British, two different cultures and mentality. I got many things from both ends. My mum left for England when I was three. So me and my twin brother grew up with my father and grandparents. Both Greek and British families have great relationships, So I grew up in a nice environment. It was my grandmother who did the most things for us. She died last year and that's the reason I am waiting for Greek national team to fulfill her happiness.

  I am a serious person to the people who don't know me. I am quite shy. To close friends and family, I am a crazy girl. I studied in sports management in Sparta.  I love swimming, horse riding and basketball other than Football.

IFFHS Q: What is your message to young Greek footballers?

Kiamou: The young players should have a dream and be ready for hard work . People may not believe in them and even laugh at them. Don't give up and continue your hard work until success. I am sure the result will always be sweet. 

 

 

CAMEROON’S DRAW

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon played to a 0-0 draw with the Blue Samurai of Japan today in a climax to their camp in the Netherlands which had to close on October 13^th but is being cut short for want of another credible sparring partner. 53^rd ranked Cameroon and 28^th ranked Japan on FIFA monthly assessments gave the ostensibly shallow turnout at the 24-thousand-seater Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht a good game as each side engaged play more than ten months since their last performance on duty.

 

 

Picture : Serge Tabekou, Cameroon’s midfielder won his duel with Koki Anzai (right) in Utrecht (Netherlands)

 

It was a Cameroon side under Portuguese trainer, Toni Conceiçao, stripped of 7 players lost to Covid-19 infection, defections and injuries but which demonstrated quality as three newcomers, Harold Moukoudi, Jean Onana, Samuel Gouet  performed much above average, and an agile goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa who twice denied the Japanese opportunities to carry the day for the fourth time ever over their opponents. Their showing today, although not breaking jinx of never defeating Japan, was a glimmer of hope ahead of their binary date with Mozambique when days 3 & 4 of the Total African Cup of Nations Cameroon 2022 qualifiers go underway next month.

Japan who are rigorously preparing to resume walking the rope leading to the FIFA Coca Cola World Cup, Qatar 2022 emerged from an average first half to dictate the pace of events in the second but fell short of the requirements to deliver. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu’s game plan rooted on the ingenuity of Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino, Villareal’s Takefusa Kubo, and the like did not make the difference as both sides separated on  0-0 tie, and congratulated each other for a good fight. But they also did so, regretting the last move at the ultimate minute of the game when the Cameroon keeper seductively parried over the crossbar. 

In six games so far between the two, Japan has defeated Cameroon thrice, and played thrice to a draw.

 

DISAPPOINTING DAY

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon required just a victory at base in Yaounde on Saturday, October 8^th, 2005 to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, Germany 2006. Between them and their sixth appearance at the those finals, however, stood The Pharoahs of Egypt who were in town just for formality after they had been eliminated in the group that also featured Ivory Coast, Benin and Sudan.

On the eve of the game, Cameroonians had been cajoled into thinking qualification would be theirs after an interview of a so-called spokesman of the indigenes of the Mfandena locality, where the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium is located had been broadcast on national television in which he emphatically stated that the Lions would never again lose in that field. Did invincibility necessarily mean qualification?

Malian referee Coulibaly Koman handled the match masterfully as the overflowing capacity turnout cheered on the lions in an atmosphere where anxiety and expectation battled for supremacy in the picture of events. Rudolphe Douala Mbella nailed in the curtain raiser at close range at the 20^thminute. The Egyptians equalized through Mohammed Shawkry barely ten minutes to the end of the game. Anxiety, thereafter, enveloped the stadium as Cameroon’s chances fluttered like cotton over a chimney. Eternal substitute, Pius Ndiefi whose father’s remains were in the Kumba District hospital mortuary came in and almost gave the lions qualification but keeper Essam El Hadary parried over the cross-bar to the chagrin of fans already on their feet to celebrate the goal that never was. At the 95^thminute of total play, Salomon Olembe was illicitly tackled as he forged his way into the box… penalty! As scores of fans brought out placards celebrating qualification, Samuel Eto’o could be seen with the Egyptian goalkeeper in an intimate chat whose content has not been known to this date. Pierre Wome Nlend whose ultimate shot had given Cameroon the football gold in Sydney in 2000, ran forward only to see his left foot shot ricochet off keeper Hadary’s left woodwork. The match closed within seconds as news came in that Ivory Coast had defeated Sudan 3-0 to qualify from the group. What a disappointment for the Lions and their fans as technical adviser Patrick Mboma barely raised the sobbing team captain Rigobert Song to his feet! The anticipated celebration of a 6^th World Cup appearance for Cameroon promptly dissolved giving way to anguish, heartbreak, emotional pain, and outright frustration on a Saturday that simply turned out to be one of profound disappointment!