- Vincent Aboubakar marked 100th cap with a great performance in 0-1 defeat against Russia
- The Cotonsport academy graduate is only the fifth Cameroonian to reach that feat, joining the likes of Rigobert Song, Geremi Njitap, Samuel Eto’o and Kunde Emmanuel.
- The Beşiktaş star is 13 goal shy of Samuel Eto’o’s all-time record of 53 Cameroon goals
- Cameroon will play Senegal in a friendly on Monday which will see him edge closer to Kunde’s spot with 102 caps
- AFCON 2023 will be Aboubakar’s fourth and the eighth major tournament for the Indomitable Lions.
Cameroon lost their first preparations game for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The Indomitable Lions suffered a slim 0-1 defeat to their host on Thursday at the Dinamo Lev Yashin stadium in Moscow.
Vincent Aboubakar failed to take one of his handful of glaring chances but on his 100th cap, the striker showed his artistic aptitude in the final third, justifying his long stay in the national team with a great individual performance.
Aboubakar who made his in June 2009 in another friendly against Serbia became only the fifth Camerooniab to attain the 100 caps mark – joining the likes of his coach on the night, Rigobert Song with 137 caps, Samuel Eto’o and Geremi Njitap with 118 caps each and former tough-tackling defender Kunde Emmanuel with 102 caps.
With 40 goals to his name so far, Aboubakar is 13 goals away from matching Samuel Eto’o’s all-time record of 53 goals and three caps away from bettering Kunde Emmanuel who is the fourth most-capped player with 102 caps.
Though there wasn’t much of a celebration, it was a great afternoon for the former FC Porto forward, who at times looked slightly isolated up front but succeeded to test the Russian keeper and defence on many occasions.
The teenage striker remembered for being Cameroon’s youngest and only home-based player some 13 years ago during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has written his name in the history of Cameroon football.
Whatever happens to the 31-year-old in the years to come, many will remember how he climbed off the bench to score the brilliant winner against Egypt during the 2017 AFCON final in Libreville. That and his eight-goal AFCON plus his brilliant showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup including the goal of the tournament contender scored against Brazil represents some of his iconic moments in the mythical three-color Cameroon kit.
Roger Milla’s international career is considered the reference in the Cameroonian setting. If Aboubakar stays fit to equal his run then he will be around for the next ten years and have the chance of adding to his 40 goals and seven assists plus an AFCON gold and silver medal for Cameroon.
Aboubakar will skipper his country at next year’s AFCON in Côte D’Ivoire. It will be his eighth major tournament for Cameroon including four AFCON, three FIFA World Cup and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments.
The most surprising part of Aboubakar’s story is the underrated striker has never won the African footballer of the year award.
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