Makoun: TP Mazembe dismiss link to ex-Lille midfielder

TP Mazembe has refuted claims associating former Cameroon international Jean Makoun with the Lubumbashi based team.

Makoun, 36, parted ways with Cypriot football league side Merit Alsancak Yesilova SK following the expiration of his contract in January 2020.

However, news that made headlines in the past few days had it the ex-Lille, Lyon and Aston Villa man was on the cusp of teaming up with the Congolese giants.

But the five-time Caf Champions League winners have rubbished the claims, tagging the information as ‘unverified and erroneous’.

“The TPM wishes to provide a formal denial about possible contacts or a signature with the former Cameroonian international Jean Makoun,” the club wrote on their website.

“The club generally regrets the publication of erroneous and unverified information to its communications department.

“The one about Makoun is one of them. Although the championship is stopped, the management has a sports project on which it is working to prepare for the next season.

“The TPM has never, directly or indirectly, contacted the player concerned who is not involved in this project.”

This development is a massive setback for Makoun who broke the news of the link with Mazembe having disclosed his intention of playing in Africa before drawing the curtains on his professional career.

“My dream is to play again in Africa. For now, the virus is everyone’s worry, signing for a club is not my priority,” he told Cameroon based Kick442.com

“Before the outbreak of the pandemic TP Mazembe came calling and I was willing to give-it-a-shot but the virus put everything on hold.”

Born in Yaounde, the veteran was snapped up by French top-flight side, Lille after his formative years at Cotonspor, Jeunesse Star and Tonnerre Yaounde.

After seven seasons at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, he was snapped up by Lyon before moving to Aston Villa after three seasons with the Kids.

He struggled to tie down regular starts at the Villans’ and that necessitated his loan spells to Olympiacos and Rennes. From there, he was signed by Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor.

On the international scene, Makoun made his international appearance in 2003 before bowing out of the Indomitable Lions’ squad having garnered 68 caps.