Cameroon star left out
YAOUNDÉ - Cameroon left out long-serving centre back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from their squad for the World Cup in a shock omission as coach Rigobert Song named his 26-man selection for Qatar.
The coach also surprisingly included two home-based players -- Souaibou Marou and Jerome Ngom -- who had won their first caps just hours before in a friendly against Jamaica.
The team will be captained by Vincent Aboubakar, who competed as a teenager at the 2010 World Cup and again in Brazil in 2014 when the Indomitable Lions last appeared at the finals. It will also be a third World Cup for defender Nicolas Nkoulou, 32, and Bayern Munich attacker Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting, who is 33-years-old. Song gave no explanation for the axing of the 31-year-old Belgian-based centre back at a hastily arranged news conference on Wednesday, where reporters were given short notice of the intention to name the squad.
Song also included teenage goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu, who is on the books of Olympique de Marseille, but yet to play a senior match. He is the only uncapped player in the squad. Cameroon will play in an eighth World Cup - a record number of appearances for an African nation - and take on Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil in Group G, with their first game on 24 November.
Goalkeepers: Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Olympique de Marseille), Andre Onana (Inter Milan) Defenders: Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Collins Fai (Al Tai), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris Salonika), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennes)
Midfielders: Martin Hongla (Verona), Pierre Kunde (Olympiakos), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Samuel Oum Gouet (Mechelen), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli) Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting (Bayern Munich), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow), Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys Berne), Karl Toko Ekambi (Olympique Lyonnais).
MUNICH - Germany handed a surprise call-up to Borussia Dortmund teenager Youssoufa Moukoko in their World Cup squad on Thursday as 2014 World Cup winner Mario Gotze marked a sensational return to the national team setup after five years.
Germany coach Hansi Flick announced his 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar starting on November 20, with the 17-year-old Moukoko, who has scored six times in the Bundesliga this season, included. “Youssoufa is a lively and quick player. We are really happy for him,” Flick said.
Werder Bremen forward Niclas Fullkrug also earned a spot after a stellar season so far with 10 goals and following the absence of the injured Timo Werner and Lukas Nmecha.
But 30-year-old midfielder Gotze’s return will no doubt hog the headlines
GERMANY SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defenders: Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Lukas Klostermann, Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton), Christian Guenter (Freiburg)
Midfielders: Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller (all Bayern Munich), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Gotze (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Strikers: Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund)
with the 2014 final scorer back to his best with a return to the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt this season. Bayern Munich provided a strong midfield core with Thomas Muller, teenager Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will lead the team and remains first choice for the fourth consecutive World Cup.
Four-time winners Germany are looking to make amends for their shock first-round loss in 2018 and kick off their Group E matches against Japan on November 23. They next face Spain four days later and Costa Rica on December 1. Germany are leaving for Oman on Monday where they will play their final warm-up game on November 16 before flying on to Doha. Dortmund captain Marco Reus and defender Mats Hummels, however, missed out with the former failing to recover from yet another injury in time. Reus had also missed the 2014 World Cup after suffering an injury on the eve of their departure for Brazil, where they won the title.
SQUAD:
Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Andries Noppert (Heerenveen), Remko Pasveer (Ajax Amsterdam)
Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munchen), Tyrell Malacia (Man. United), Jurrien Timber (Ajax),
Midfielders: Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners, Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Xavi Simons (PSV), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax)
Forwards: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Vincent Janssen (Antwerp), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Noah Lang (Club Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas).
Canada hold Bahrain
MANAMA - Canada came from behind to grab a 2-2 draw with Bahrain in a friendly match in Manama on Friday, giving players a final chance to impress coach John Herdman before he names his Qatar World Cup squad. Herdman is set to announce his selection today, a day before the November 14 FIFA deadline. Canada, ranked 41st in the world, fielded a team of mostly Major League Soccer players against the 85th-ranked Bahrain and looked far off their best, needing an 81st minute goal from Lucas Cavallini to escape with a draw at Al-Khalifa Stadium.
Klopp backs Trent
LONDON - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his frustration again at criticism of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. Klopp has responded to comments made by TV pundit and former Man Utd defender Gary Neville about Alexander-Arnold. The ex-Red Devil has said he does not see how England manager Gareth Southgate can trust the full-back in a knockout game because of his defensive deficiencies which has brought a strong response from the Liverpool boss. “I heard Gary Neville said something (about Trent). But he’s now 24 and won quite a few finals, important games where you have to defend against world class players,” he told reporters. “He was always there, defending well. I don’t know why we have this discussion.”
Dutch to meet workers
AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands squad will meet migrant workers who helped build the stadiums for the World Cup in Qatar, coach Louis van Gaal said on Friday. The team will meet a group of about 20 migrants on November 17 to talk about their working conditions and to give them the opportunity to join the players in training. The Dutch FA (KNVB) is one of the few football associations to criticise human rights and working conditions in Qatar, where migrant workers and foreigners make up the majority of the 2.8 million population. The country has come under severe scrutiny from human rights groups in the build-up to the tournament, which runs from November 20 to December 18.