Cameroon’s football history dates back to its period of colonization. What merely began as an unorganized activity soon became widely-played, with the formation of several football clubs. It also came to be a part of Physical Education in colonial schools, and its practice started to be identified as a sign of prestige. As Cameroon gained more international visibility, the government increased its role and controlled the sport more closely.
With so much significance given to football in the country, it’s only natural that Cameroon has introduced some of the most talented footballers to the world. A Cameroonian footballer is believed to have an inborn passion for the game, and this has been proved time and again by young players like Alex Song, who has a worldwide fan-following. It makes us wonder whether Cameroon made these footballers famous or the footballers made Cameroon famous. Either ways, the undying football-passion of the country’s youngsters will only make the Cameroon-football connection flourish.
The positions in football may not be as formally defined as those in the other games. However, footballers tend to play in a limited range of positions throughout their careers. This may be attributed to the fact that each of these positions requires a particular set of skills. One such is the Centre Back (CB) position, otherwise known as Centre Half. A CB is meant to stop opposing players from scoring, and to bring the ball out from their penalty area.
Center backs are usually tall, and possess good heading and tackling capabilities. Some well-known CBs playing today include Fabio Cannavaro, the Real Madrid player, William Gallas and Alexandre Song of Arsenal and John Terry of Chelsea. While CBs usually remain in the half of the field that contains the goal they are defending, some tall defenders often go forward to the opposing team's penalty box, when scoring with one’s head is a possibility. Center backs therefore, have a defensive function to perform and a crucial role to play. Their skills have become an indispensable asset to every football team.
