Death snatches two former Indomitable Lions!.

Nicknamed Le Terrible Kadange or Gauche’, the late footballer featured at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Mozambique, in Maputo, in 1997.

Che Sam, as he was popularly called, captained Kumbo Strikers to the 2000 Cup of Cameroon triumph, where they defeated Unisport of Bafang 1-0 at the final.

It was the first time in the history of the Cup of Cameroon that an Anglophone team lifted the trophy.

During his football career, the late Che played for PWD Bamenda, Fovu of Baham, Prisons of Buea, Victoria United, Yong Sports Academy of Bamenda and APR of Rwanda.

Upon retirement, the jovial footballer served as trainer, administrator and legal adviser. He also founded a football club known as St Stevens FC.

Nguemo killed in car crash

The 38-year-old died in a car crash in Obala, near Yaounde, yesterday. 

He is said to have left Bafoussam in a private vehicle and was heading to Yaounde when the vehicle collided with a truck.

According to reports, the truck-Mercedez Benz matriculated CE 555, was heading to Ebebda from Yaounde. After arriving at a village known as Ngomo, the driver attempted a wrongful overtaking.

The truck is reported to have violently hit the private Suzuki Vitara car matriculated LT 029, which was being driven by Thudjo Francis Alain Desire. The vehicle had on board the former Cameroon international footballer, Landry Nguemo.

The two occupants of the private vehicle died on the spot. Their corpses were deposited at the mortuary of the Efok Ad Lucem Hospital. Nguemo played for the Indomitable Lions between 2006 and 2014. 

The defensive midfielder was part of the Cameroon squads that competed at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments. He made 41 appearances for Cameroon, scoring three goals.

His professional football career saw him play for clubs in France, Scotland, Turkey and Norway.

After retiring in 2019, he enrolled into a coaching school abroad, from where he held the post of youth football trainer in a number of clubs. He was said to have been shuttling between France and Cameroon. 

He was also investing in real estate among other things. Weeks back, Landry Nguemo unveiled a commercial building he constructed in Dschang, Menoua Division of the West Region, which he named CAN House.

Few days before his demise, he took part in a gala match at the Nlongkak neigbourhood in the capital city, Yaounde. Some other Cameroon internationals and former footballers like Alex Song, Jean II Makoun and Martin Hongla were involved in the game.

Homage to the deceased football stars

Since the announcement of the death of the former footballers, several football stakeholders have been paying them tributes and condoling with their families.

The Cameroon Football Federation, in a message on its official Facebook page wrote: “FECAFOOT has learnt of the death of former Indomitable Lion, Landry Nguemo, following a road accident. The former player of Girondins de Bordeaux played for the national team of Cameroon between 2006 and 2014. FECAFOOT presents its condolences to his loved ones and the entire football family”. 

The President of FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o Fils, posted a picture of him and Nguemo in the national team colours, on his Instagram account accompanied by a sad emoji.

Former Indomitable Lions head coach, Rigobert Song, who played with Nguemo in the national team, said: “Landry leaves us very early”.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of my younger brother, Landry Nguemo. I send my condolences and all my support to the bereaved family as well as the entire sporting family,” Song wrote.

French clubs, Girondins de Bordeaux and AS St. Etienne, where Landry Nguemo played, also paid him homage on their official social media accounts.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3152 of Friday June 28, 2024