Ligue 1: Karl Toko Ekambi, an asset of Olympique Lyonnais
Cameroonian striker from Lyon, Toko Ekambi, opens the scoring in the Ligue 1 match against Reims, in Décines-Charpieu, November 29, 2020. JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK AFP
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
4 min
Olympique Lyonnais, currently third in the Ligue 1 Championship, which travels to Nice on Saturday 19 December, should once again rely on Cameroonian international Karl Toko Ekambi, the man in shape of the moment at Les Gones.
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Last August, Karl Toko Ekambi could have regrets after missing two duels against Manuel Neuer in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Facing Bayern Munich, the Cameroonian could have made his mark on OL's history, instead he had to face criticism.
A place in Rudi Garcia's offensive trident
“
I think it was too much, especially towards me, by the way.
When it's me, the missed opportunities, it's me who missed out.
It was OL who harvested the harvest, and when it was PSG, it was Neuer who was great
, he regretted in the columns of
L'Équipe
.
I'm even happy that it falls on me, because the comments that have been made can destabilize a player.
While I don't care.
So yes, I'm very happy that it happened to me, because I know how to move on
”.
Since then, the Prix RFI Marc-Vivien Foé 2018, passed among others by Paris FC, Angers and Villarreal has found the grinta.
Unbeaten for 12 days, OL are now driven by the efficiency of Karl Toko Ekambi.
At 28, he was directly involved in Lyon's last seven goals in L1.
Before the last confrontation against Brest (2-2), the former FC Sochaux striker in Ligue 2 scored three goals and delivered four assists in the last three matches, and won his place in Rudi Garcia's offensive trident .
His association with Memphis Depay and Tino Kadewere is working wonders.
Speed and sense of purpose
Parisian by birth, Toko Ekambi discovered Ligue 1 at the age of 24, after an atypical career.
“
When I arrived at the PFC
(2011),
I thought to myself that it could typically be the player who fell through the cracks.
As he didn't play right away
(only in October)
, I could see his questions in his eyes.
He was a guy with a good education, he never complained, never gave up and was hungry.
He had speed and a sense of goal,
”testified in
L'Équipe
Alain Mboma, his coach at the PFC, his first professional club.
During his second year with Angers, Karl Toko Ekambi had marked the spirits with 17 goals and 6 assists.
However, it took patience for him to find his way back into the net in 2020.
Recruited in January by OL, the Cameroonian international first signed two goals in his first three appearances.
Then he was silent for eight months, eighteen consecutive meetings.
The deliverance arrived on October 18 in Strasbourg (2-3) with a double.
In early December, he was involved in his team's three goals against Reims (1 goal and 2 assists).
Karl Toko Ekambi is Lyon's top scorer, tied with Memphis Depay.
OL, currently third in the French Championship, travels to Nice for the 16th day on Saturday 19 December.
A new opportunity for Karl Toko Ekambi to heal his statistics.
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