The latest in a long line of additions to FC Porto’s squad this summer is young Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar. PortuGOAL takes a closer look at the man who will be competing with (or alongside) Jackson Martínez.
Whilst it has hardly been a rare occurrence for a young, African striker to be declared as the “next Samuel Eto’o”, Vincent Aboubakar looks like he might be one that comes closer than most. Presented as the latest edition to Porto’s squad with a now mandatory awkward pose in shirt of his new club, the young Cameroonian managed to side-step the soul-sapping move to a mid-table Premier League club by choosing European football instead, as he sealed the deal just in time to see them beat Lille and confirm a place in the Champions League group stage.
The last year has been quite the year for Vincent Aboubakar. Prior to last summer, he was the prospect which everyone had hoped so much for, but one that remained relatively unfulfilled. All the pace, skill and finishing ability he had was countered by an inconsistency and rawness that left a question mark still hanging over his head, and he lulled at Ligue 1 side Valenciennes until he was stale. However, moving to Lorient last summer was the move that changed his career round.
Arriving on a free after his Valenciennes contract ran down, he was able to make a fresh start, and become the player he was touted to be. Moving to the far more stable and progressive club that is Lorient, he was dropped into a side that played attractive football, with good players and without the threat of relegation looming too close. With the tools around him to tease out the ability that lurked within, he became electric. With 17 goals in 37 games for his side last season as they finished in their usual mid-table, he had blown his career goal record out-of-the-water in a single season, as people began to notice the 22-year-old and talk him up ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.
Whilst his domestic career was sky-rocketing, the World Cup only served to disappoint those excited to see the young Cameroonian, as his international career continued to plod along in the shadow of the man he’s rumoured to replace. Other than a goal in the pre-tournament friendly against Portugal, Aboubakar didn’t really fit in to the 4-3-3 system that national team manager Volker Finke employs, with Samuel Eto’o occupying the central striker role that he works best in - in what was a pretty disastrous World Cup for the country. Whilst Eto’o’s injury meant that Aboubakar did start the final two games for Cameroon, the total dearth in creativity behind the striker meant that he never really had a chance, as they crash out with zero points at the group stage. However, he should not be judged by what he has done in the green of the Indomitable Lions.
Speed and agility
Blessed with wonderful pace and agility, it is his finishing that he truly refined whilst at Lorient last season, as he managed to subject some control over the natural physical attributes he has. Rather than separate from one another, he has been able to blend some composure into his tricky dribbling style, as he can now finish the chance in front of him after beating the player.
To watch, Aboubakar is an intriguing one. Possessing a broad chest and powerful looking legs, it is easy to forget that he is over 6 foot tall, with some sort of aspect to his physique that for some reason makes him seem shorter than he is. Whether it’s that his speed is so incongruous to his physique, or the way his shorts seem closer to his knee than his teammates, he also has a slightly awkward quality to the way he plays football. Perhaps not technically gifted, you will not necessarily see Aboubakar side-foot the ball effortless into the corner in Theirry Henry fashion, but he rather more like an early Fernando Torres in the way he uses the ball. Whilst this is arguably what gave him a bad rap in his Valenciennes days, this should by no means be a criticism, as has proved to be extremely effective.
One might be concerned about the timing of this move, having only had one good season in Europe so far, amongst fears that he may be unable to replicate it at a new club. However, not being thrust immediately into the starting line-up as their frontline striker may be a good thing for Aboubakar, as it will hopefully give him time to settle in and adjust to being at a club with European ambitions. Admittedly, AC Milan’s interest in Jackson Martínez may see his role become more important, but for now he will be content as a backup.
How he deals with this move will be very telling for the rest of his career. At only 22, moving to a club that has consistently been in Europe could be a lot to deal with, but the similarities in standard between Ligue 1 and the Primeira Liga means that this hopefully shouldn’t be too much of a transition. Furthermore, after Samuel Eto’o’s exclusion from the Cameroon squad and Aboubakar being named vice-captain of his national team, it too will be telling how he deals with this added pressure on both fronts.
Nevertheless, I believe that Porto can be pleased with their latest acquisition. A true striker with an excellent recent goal record, the Estádio do Dragão will be the perfect breeding ground for him to develop his talents, and to play a role in seeing them return to the top of Portuguese football.
by Sam Crocker
For more from Sam follow @sam_crock on twitter and read the Sandals for Goalposts blog.
