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26.05.2005
African stars light up Ligue 1
by FIFAworldcup.com
Following on from Côte d`Ivoire striker Didier Drogba last season, Ghana`s Michael Essien has just been voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals in France`s Ligue 1. Proof once again, if proof were still needed, that African players are often the motors driving French teams forward. With just ten days to go before the next round of 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ qualifiers, FIFAworldcup.com looks at the fortunes of Africa`s finest in Le Championnat.
Despite a groundswell of support for his Lyon team-mate Juninho Pernambucano, nobody was surprised to see Essien named the best of the best in the French game. Imposing himself in midfield with a powerful physique married to a delicate mastery of the ball, this native of Accra steered Lyon towards a fourth consecutive domestic title from start to finish, and has emerged as one of the most talented defensive midfielders on the planet.
Essien`s classy performances in the UEFA Champions League did not go unnoticed either, and some of the most prestigious clubs in Europe are said to be lining up for his signature. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has repeated time after time that "Michael will still be at the club next year," but he faces a struggle to see off the determined advances of Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.
Mali`s Mahamadou Diarra has also done Africa proud in a holding midfield role for the French champions. Putting a miserable year with his national team to one side, `Djila` has established himself as a leader in the middle of the park, the first line of Lyon`s almost impregnable defence. He is more of a `behind-the-scenes` type player than Essien, but his influence has been unmistakeable in a fantastic season for the club.
Habib Beye, a model of consistency
Much the same could be said of Didier Zokora, a star performer for Saint-Etienne in a year that could yet see them reacquainted with European competition. The Côte d`Ivoire ball-winner has come into his own this term, setting himself apart with his strong physique, his uncanny knack of breaking up attacks and his instinctive positioning. Zokora is also attracting his fair share of suitors, both within France and overseas, and much like his national team, his star is very much on the rise.
Another rising star is Jean II Makoun, even if his native Cameroon are struggling in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Still only 21, he has been a major factor in an outstanding season for surprise-package Lille, the club where he learnt his trade. The revolving door in midfield through which every ball must pass, he has combined power and superior technique to turn the northerners into one of the most attractive teams to watch in France.
Also in a defensive role, Senegal`s Habib Beye has without doubt been one of the very few Olympique de Marseille players to put in consistently good performances all year. Whether asked to play in the centre of a traditional back four, centre-left in a five-man configuration or even at right-back, the former Strasbourg and Paris Saint-Germain man has never disappointed. The statistics speak for themselves, as despite a change of coach and fluctuating tactics, Beye has started in 36 of his side’s 37 league games so far.
`Baky` Kone ready for next level
Players at the other end of the pitch have, of course, had their say too. And none more so than Côte d`Ivoire playmaker Bonaventure Kalou, the third African alongside Essien and Beye to feature in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. With eight goals and three assists to mark his second year in France with Auxerre, he has rediscovered the form that made him such an exciting prospect at Feyenoord as well as attracting attention from a number of envious teams. Kalou`s dream is to help take Côte d`Ivoire to the first FIFA World Cup in their history, before one day joining a club with a more glamorous allure than Auxerre.
Among the strikers who have shone this term, Mamadou Niang deserves a special mention. The 2004/05 campaign will go down as the year in which the Senegalese international fulfilled his promise, and his 11 goals and three assists have gone a long way to keeping Strasbourg in the top flight. The same applies to Guinean captain Pascal Feindouno (13 goals) and Togolese forward Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor (nine goals), who have managed to grab the lion`s share of the spoils playing for two teams with several different routes to goal. As a result, Feindouno`s St Etienne look set to compete in Europe next year, while Adebayor`s Monaco will once again grace the Champions League.
Nor does the depth of African talent stop there. The continent has also provided some of the hottest properties in the second division, particularly Lorient`s Bakary Kone, who has just been voted Ligue 2 Player of the Year. The Côte d`Ivoire striker has been untouchable all season, scoring 24 goals in 33 goals to become top scorer by some distance. Explosive, cunning and above all deadly accurate, he has been the revelation in French football this term and, at 23, he can only get better. Expected to join a team in the top flight this summer, `Baky` will have to prove himself at the highest level if he is to earn himself a place next to Drogba in the Elephants` forward line.
Inevitably, some of these players will leave France but new names will arrive to pick up where they left off. It is fascinating to wonder who will be the Essiens, Beyes, Kalous and Kones of the future, and the answer could well take shape on the playing fields of Germany next summer.
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 MAKOUN GOAL SEALS POINTS FOR LILLE
Jean Makoun`s first-half goal was enough to hand Lille a 1-0 victory over Rennes in the first game of the Ligue 1 season.The Cameroon midfielder reacted fastest to divert Hicham Aboucherouane`s......
[Autres][01.08.2005][5449 hits][0 R]
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Jean II Makoun : Nous n`avons pas peur de la Côte d`Ivoire
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[quotidienmutations.info][30.06.2005][6923 hits][0 R]
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African stars light up Ligue 1
Another rising star is Jean II Makoun, even if his native Cameroon are struggling in their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Still only 21, he has been a major factor in an outstanding season for......
[FIFA.COM][26.05.2005][6645 hits][0 R]
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"Carton rouge" à Makoun
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