Cameroon star Mbekeli elated over TotalEnergies Man of the Match award
Jerome Ngom put up a stellar performance as his lone goal inspired Cameroon to a 1-0 victory over Congo in a highly contested fixture on Monday at the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 in Oran, Algeria.
Ngom’s fine header to hand the Intermediate Lions maximum points gave him the front row seat for the award that earned him praise from his coach and team-mates.
“My goal was to bring energy and pace into our attack and I did exactly that. I wanted to inspire Cameroon to victory and I did everything within my means to achieve that. I am so glad that we won the game and this award means a lot,” Ngom said after the game.
Ngom’s performance was the difference on the night with his constant runs on the right wing to cut into the penalty box before crossing several attempts into the box.
The 24-year old blond-haired youngster could have had at least three assists to his name on the night except for his wasteful teammates upfront that continuously failed to connect to the ball.
“In the first half, I was trying to get into the game and in the second half, I was in my zone and contributing towards the game as per the coach’s plans. Kudos to the entire team for all the efforts and now we have a win,” Ngom added.
His coach Alioum Saidou spoke highly of Ngom saying that, “What else would a coach ask for if he asks his players to do something and they do it. Ngom played well and this is the exact quality that he adds to our game.”
Ngom, who featured for Cameroon at the just concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar and assisted Vincent Aboubakar’s sole goal against Brazil in a historic victory, got several offers from clubs across the world but he turned them down to play for Cameroon.
“I wanted to represent Cameroon. When you are called upon to play for your country, it is an honour and for me, this is the greatest honour, so I am here to do my best and as a team to perform well and go as far as possible in the competition,” Ngom said while beaming with a lot of pride.
Cameroon’s next game is against Niger on January 24 at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran at 1900 GMT.