Departing Livingston defender Gus Bahoken is banking on a call-up to Cameroon’s Confederations Cup squad in order to earn himself a move to a new club. The 23-year-old utility player has been told his contract with the Lions will not be renewed at the end of the season and he is set to leave the club this week.
An ankle injury has ruled him out of the end-of-season run-in but he is hopeful of recovering in time to be named in his national squad for the Confederations Cup, which will be held in France next month.
Cameroon have been drawn against World champions Brazil, Turkey and the United States in the group stages of the tournament and Bahoken has his fingers crossed coach Winifried Schaefer selects him for the prestigious event.
Having been included in a pool selected by Schaefer for a recent stint at a training camp in Spain, Bahoken is hopeful he will make the cut and play on the big stage with players such as Geremi, Marc Vivien Foe and Lauren who have all starred in the English Premiership this season. And he’s also well aware that the worldwide exposure given to the tournament will attract the attention of clubs across the continent.
He’s will be grateful for a chance to display his skills, providing he gets the chance, and is confident he will be able to impress any watching coaches and scouts.
He said: « Going away to the training camp last month was a big thing for me and an experience I really enjoyed. Players like Geremi, Foe, Lauren and Joseph Desire Job were all there as well and you can learn so much just from practising with these guys.
« I’ve played for the Cameroon team at all levels from the youth stages upwards and now I’d like to play for them in a proper tournament.
« I hope that I am selected for the Confederations Cup and, having been at that training camp, I think I have a chance.
« I still have a bit of pain in the ankle but I believe I will be fit before the finals. The squad is announced at the end of May and all my energy is focused on being there.
« I have heard that there may be some teams interested in me but I would prefer to wait until after the international competition. Hopefully, I will be picked for the squad and then get into the team. There will be clubs watching the games and hopefully something can happen for me from there. »
Bahoken was taken on by Jim Leishman and Davie Hay last summer after impressing as a trialist on the club’s pre-season trip to Holland.
He flitted in and out of the team in the early stages of the campaign and filled a variety of roles in defence and midfield, but his worth became most apparent after the sale of Gary Bollan to Dundee United in January when he plugged the vacant left-back position.
Since revealing that Bahoken would not be offered fresh terms, manager Leishman has been quick to praise the player who was a complete unknown when he arrived in Scotland.
He said: « Gus has been a tremendous professional in his time here and we wish him every success.
« He’s had to fill a variety of positions in the team and he’s gone out and approached each game with the same commitment and enthusiasm. »
Bahoken was heartened to hear his manager speak in such glowing terms but could not hide his disappointment at being told he was surplus to requirements.
He said: « It’s a shame to be leaving Livingston because I have enjoyed my year here in Scotland.
« It was difficult for me at the start because I wasn’t playing so much, but the longer the season went on and the more regularly I played the more I enjoyed it.
« Coming to Scotland provided me with a new start and I’m grateful to Livingston for that. I feel I’ve become a better player and the fact I’ve been called up by my country also shows that I made the right move.
« It’s nice to hear that the manager thinks I have done a good job for him but I must say I have never complained about what position I have been asked to play.
« I have always been happy to play in different areas of the field and the same has been true of my time here. »
GRAEME CROSER
