Stéphane Bahoken: "I thought I had my chances" of finding Cameroon
Cameroonian Stéphane Bahoken.
JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP
Text by: Marie-Amélie Motte
4 min
Stéphane Bahoken, striker of SCO d'Angers, was the guest of Radio Foot Internationale on September 21, 2020. The 28-year-old Cameroonian international returned to his good start to the season in the French Championship but also on his non-selection for Cameroon's next friendly.
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: Stéphane Bahoken, you have been playing in Angers since 2018. You are coming out of a delicate season, marked by several injuries.
But since the resumption of the French Championship (Ligue 1) this summer, you seem much more in shape: two goals in two starts.
Did the long break in Ligue 1 do you any good
?
Stéphane Bahoken
: Yes, it did me good because I was able to recover well after all my injuries from last season.
But mentally, it was hard to stay inactive for long.
In recent months, Angers has experienced some upheavals, several departures and internal problems. We feel that the group continues to do well… But did that affect you all the same
?
Many players have wondered.
There were indeed a lot of starts, extra sporting problems.
We asked ourselves questions but we tried to remain professional, to focus on the group and the field.
During your first season at Angers, you scored 11 goals in 32 matches. Is your goal to do even better this season
?
Yes, like all forwards, I want to score as many goals as possible.
If I came to Angers, it was to be the leader of the attack.
I am coming out of a complicated season but this summer I prepared for it.
I want to help the team to keep up, that's our main goal.
On September 14, Cameroon coach Toni Conceiçao released a list of 32 players shortlisted for a friendly against Japan on October 9. You are not one of them. How did you react
?
I did not understand quite well.
But these are the choices of the coach.
I play, I prepare well, I am decisive.
Toni Conceiçao has chosen not to take me so I'm a little disappointed.
I must now be even more decisive with Angers to appear in the next list
[Stéphane Bahoken has 10 selections and 3 goals with Cameroon, Editor's note]
.
Think you deserve to be on the list
?
On a list of 32 players, I thought I had my chances.
But this is not the opinion of the coach.
The only answer I can give him will be on the pitch.
I will continue to give my all for the team and maybe Tony Conceiçao will give me my chance on the following lists…
Have you been able to discuss it with him
?
Not at all.
Since he arrived, I have not spoken to him.
I do the round back and I will answer on the ground.
Cameroon will host the next African Cup of Nations, in January 2022, after the one-year postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Indomitable Lions are automatically qualified. Isn't it too difficult not to play a high-stakes game
?
Yes it's a little difficult, but quite honestly, we always want to win friendly matches.
Before playing CAN in Egypt, we played all our matches as if we weren't qualified
[Cameroon was to host CAN 2019 but it was ultimately Egypt that organized it, Editor's note]
.
It's not destabilizing, we play every game to win them.
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