IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 45
Picture : Carlos Soler scored 3 penalties in the game against Real Madrid ! A Record in La Liga in the XXI Century !
NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK
RECORDS
In the Spanish league game vs Valencia (1-4), Real Madrid has conceded as many as 3 penalties. This happened with Real Madrid for the first time in the whole history of La Liga.
All these penalties were scored by Valencia’s Carlos Soler who became the first player of La Liga in XXI century scoring 3 spot kicks in a single game.
With appearing in the 3rd round of UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) has started his 18th consecutive UCL campaign (he missed first two rounds due to coronavirus). Only one player in the history of UCL has a longer row: Iker Casillas (20 seasons consecutively, from 1999/00 to 2018/19).
A Turkish striker Yusuf Yazici from Lille became the first player in the history of UEFA club competitions who scored two away hat-tricks in a single season. He did it in the Europa League games vs Sparta Pague (4-1) and Milan (3-0).
Connor Goldson (Glasgow Rangers) has scored an own goal in Europa League vs Benfica (3-3) after exactly 60 seconds. It is the fastest own goal in the history of this tournament.
David Alaba (Bayern), with participating in the victory over Borussia Dortmund (3-2), achieved the mark of 200 wins in German Bundesliga earlier than any other player of the history – taking 267 games for this.
ETO’O SURVIVED
The IFFHS legend player was being driven back to Douala in the Littoral Region from the West Region yesterday where he had been to attend several festivities. A bus belonging to Express Travel Agency ran into his jeep head-on at the Barré Bakem joint in Nkongsamba, but legendary footballer with several unrivalled accomplishments was later medically declared not to be in danger.
However, several hours after the collision, what is capturing headlines is the humane reaction of the football legend. For, learning how the runaway bus driver had been apprehended by security forces some 15 kms from the scene of the incident, Samuel Eto’o arrived at the police station where the former was being held and joined him in his posture where he too sat on the floor. Eto’o comforted the driver who had been reportedly brutalized, and then pleaded for all charges to be dropped against him, proceeding to giving the driver some money before leaving the environment.
CAMEROON CAMP
The Indomitable Lions begin their camp today in a rare setting of the Reunification Stadium in Douala, venue of the first of their double challenge with Mozambique for the Total African Cup of Nations Cameroon 2022 on November 12th. For this return to the nation’s economic capital 22 years after they last did so, head coach Toni Conceiçao has cut down the initial list he summoned weeks back even before take-off from 32 to 24 without giving any reason for the new move. His list also features no home-based player.
The 24 to begin camp today include: 3 goalkeepers(André Onana, Fabrice Ondoa, Simon Omossola); 8 defenders(Collins Fai, Jerome Onguene, Michael Ngadeu, Harold Moukoudi, Olivier Mbaizo, JC Castelletto, Fabrice Ngah, Ambroise Oyongo); 5 midfielders(Kunde Malong, Zambo Anguissa, Arnaud Djoum, Jean Onana, Samuel Oum Guet); 8 attackers(Toko Ekambi, Christian Bassogog, Choupo-Moting, Vincent Aboubakar, Moumi Ngamaleu, Stephane Bahoken, Serge Tabekou, Clinton Njie). However, coach Toni Conceiçao has as well polished an 8-man waiting list including, Blondy Noukeu, Ahmad Ngouyamsa, Macky Bagnack, Martin Hongla, Brice Eteki, Eric Ayuk, Stéphane Zobo and Aboubakar Seidiki.
After Day 3 of the qualifiers, the team will travel to take on Mozambique in Maputo for Day 4 on November 16th.
Meanwhile, the Cameroon football family is grappling with possible distraction from the qualifiers after FIFA has decided to listen today in a video conference to feuding parties in the federation vs professional league saga which is getting very serious as the federation has scheduled the start of the new season tomorrow after stripping the former of their prerogatives.