Hero of the Indomitable Lions in 2017, absent due to injury in 2019, Vincent Aboubakar must be the pillar of the selection of Cameroon in this CAN 2022 at home. The captain, confirmed by coach Toni Conceiçao, measures all the expectations of Cameroonian supporters. And he and his teammates intend to answer them.
From our special correspondent in Yaoundé,
He is back. Older – more experienced, the more courteous will say – but still with the number 10 on the back. And always ambitious. On February 5, 2017, Vincent Aboubakar got rid of three Egyptian defenders before registering the goal of Cameroon’s victory in the final of the African Cup of Nations against Egypt in Libreville, Gabon (2-1, with goals scored earlier by Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Nkoulou). Almost five years later, the striker will regret the great continental tournament.
Five years of interlude therefore, including a year of postponement linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. The rest of this absence is due to this big injury that occurred in September 2018. Then FC Porto player, Vincent Aboubakar suffered a total rupture of the cruciate ligament of the left knee. It was then almost 200 days before he found the grounds. Clarence Seedorf, Cameroon coach at the time, then decided not to take him to CAN 2019 in Egypt, deeming him too fair.
“Take pleasure and give it to the Cameroonian people”
Toni Conceiçao, appointed head of the Indomitable Lions after the departure of Seedorf, reinstated Vincent Aboubakar when physical problems left the scorer alone. He also gave him the captain’s armband for a long time. And Saturday January 8, on the eve of the opening of CAN 2022 against Burkina Faso, it is a player as happy as determined who spoke to the press.
” We will wet the jersey as much as possible to have fun and give it to the Cameroonian people who are behind us “, Promised the striker who plays in Saudi Arabia, at Al-Nasr, since the summer of 2021, after two full seasons in Turkey at Besiktas (67 matches, 35 goals). ” We have a very united team. We are united », Hammered the captain.
The pride of representing your country
The last few weeks have been marked by more pronounced reluctance than usual of European clubs to release their African players for this CAN 2022, in particular because of the health context. A debate that Vincent Aboubakar sweeps away, very happy to be able to play (finally) the second CAN in Cameroon after that of 1972: ” Thousands of people would like to be in our place. Representing my country, wearing the Cameroon jersey is a great pride. “
Faced with Burkinabè stallions facing an imbroglio around several positive cases of Covid-19, Cameroon knows it is eagerly awaited. ” We must give ourselves the means to enter the competition very well “, Warned the former player of Valenciennes and Lorient. His teammates will undoubtedly be able to count on his total motivation. Vincent Aboubakar insisted: ” If you are hungry, if you want, if you are determined, the result will follow. The 2017 gold replacement knows what he’s talking about.