Cameroon’s recently appointed coach has handed a first invitation to the country’s senior men’s national team to German-based holding midfielder Gaël Bella Ondoua. Rigobert Song has released a 38-man provisional squad for the Indomitable Lions’ Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff double-header later this March.

Ondoua is the only player preselected for the first time in the list of players dominated by TotalEnergies 2021 AFCON Bronze Medalists.

AFCON 2021 Golden Boot winner Vincent Aboubakar, spearheads the squad which also includes current UEFA top scorer Karl Toko Ekambi of Olympique Lyonnais in France.

The squad of four goalkeepers has 2017 AFCON winner and goalkeeper of the tournament Fabrice Ondoa alongside substitute goalkeeper of the 2021 competition. They are complemented by Congo-based Simon Omossola of AS Vita and Devis Epassy who has featured twice for Cameroon in the current FIFA World cup qualifier.

In defense, Song has picked 14 players, most of whom were at the last with the exception of Jean Claude Billong of Clermont in France and Sacha Boey of Turkish giants Galatasaray. Both players missed the AFCON because of injuries and return to compete for a spot with the likes of; deputy captain Michael Ngadeu, AFCON 2021 revelation Jean-Charles Castelletto, US-based Olivier Mbaizo, Jerome Onguene among others.

There is a bigger competition for spots in the midfield as all seven midfielders Song’s predecessor picked for the AFCON have new company in Jeando Fuchs who has been out of the team for over a year. Swansea City midfielder Olivier Ntcham who turned down a previous invitation in November 2019 is another of the returning options plus newcomers Gaël Bella Ondoua who is having a stellar season at German second tier side Hannover 96.

Cyprus base Arnaud Djoum- one of the midfield propeller of Cameroon’s fifth AFCON success in 2017, in Gabon is another notable figure returning to the team after as a midfield option.

Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Martin Hongla, Samuel Oum Gouet are the more established midfielders in the the squad.

Captain Vincent Aboubakar leads the eleven forward in the initial squad with Kevin Soni who is hoping to stay this time around, after he was left out of the AFCON squad.

Eight players in the team came through Song’s Under-23 squad of three years ago, seven of which participated at the 2019 Under-23 AFCON tournament in Egypt.

Record participants – Cameroon with seven appearances at the FIFA World cup face Algeria targeting a fifth appearance, on March 25 at the Japoma Stadium in the first-leg game before jetting to Algeria to face coach Djamel Belmadi’s Desert Foxes in the return game four days later, at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers

Ondoa Josep Fabrice (FK Auda, Lituania); Devis Epassy (OFI Crete, Greece); Simon Omossola ( Vita Club, DR Cong); Andre Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, Holland)

Defenders:

Onguene Jerome ( RB Salzburg,Austria); Fai Collins (Al-Tai,Saudi Arabia); Moukoudi Harold (Saint Etienne, France); Sacha Boey (Galatasaray,Turkey); Tchamba Duplex (SønderjyskE, Danmark); Mbaizo Olivier (Union Philadelphia,USA); Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders,USA); Enzo Ebosse(SCO Angers;France); Jean Claude Billong (Clermont-France); Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui (Gent, Belgium); Jean Charles Castelleto (FC Nantes, France);

Midfielders:

Zambo Anguissa (Napoli, Italy); Neyou Yvan (Saint Etienne, France); Onana Jean Emile (Bordeaux-France); Djoum Arnaud (Apollon Limassol, Cyprus); Oum Gouet (KV Mechelen-Belgium); Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona-Italy); Kunde Malong (Olympiakos-Greece); Lea Siliki (Middlesbrough– England); Jeando Fuchs (Peterborough United, England); Olivier Ntcham (Swansea,England); Gaël Bella Ondoua- (Honnover 96-Germany)

Forwards:

Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon,France); Kévin Olivier Soni (Asteras Tripolis, Greece); Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys, Switzerland ): Leandre Tawamba (Al Taawoun, Saudi Arabia); Aboubakar Vincent (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Stephane Bahoken (SCO Angers, France); John Mary (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia); Njie Clinton (Dynamo Moscow, Russia); Ignatius Ganago (RC Lens, France); Eric Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich,Germany); Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenshua – China)