With a minimum of fuss, Joel Landry N’Guemo has gradually cemented his place in the Cameroon set-up. Following Paul Le Guen’s appointment as national coach, the defensive midfielder appeared in three of the last four of Cameroon’s must-win qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, earning the admiration of the former Lyon and PSG manager for his work rate and commitment to the cause.
Serving his apprenticeship with AS Nancy-Lorraine, the diminutive N’Guemo quickly adapted to life in Ligue 1, enjoying several first-team outings before turning 20 and also running out in the UEFA Cup. At the end of the 2008/09 season, during which he played 33 league games for Nancy and five UEFA Cup matches, he signed for Glasgow Celtic on loan.
N’Guemo was a member of the Indomitable Lions side at the last two CAF African Cup of Nations in Ghana and Angola, and prior to that he represented his country at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Finland 2003.
“It would be a dream for me to make the trip to South Africa,” he commented recently on his rise to prominence. “When I think back to my early days at Nancy, which weren’t that long ago, I would never have imagined that I’d come this far.”
