In an interview with Le Parisien, Cameroonian international Faris Moumbagna shared the behind-the-scenes story of his rise to prominence. Marseille is set to play one of the most important games of its season this Thursday evening in Bergamo for the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals.
Scoring in the second leg against Benfica at the Vélodrome during the quarterfinals of the Europa League, Faris Moumbagna helped OM push the game into extra time and then secure a win through penalties. The Cameroonian striker opened up before this Thursday’s match.
Long before joining Olympique de Marseille, Faris Moumbagna grew up in Yaoundé, far removed from the glamour. The Cameroonian international discussed his early challenges.
“I grew up in a tough neighborhood,” the striker confessed. “If I hadn’t played football, I might have been a street kid today. My parents were there for me, but the surrounding influences can lead you to do other things…”
“My brother, who passed away around 2013-2014, had encouraged me to get out of the neighborhood and try out for teams. In Cameroon, there’s a football school called ‘Les Brasseries,’ which holds a tryout each year. Back then, my older brother and I walked over 10 km to get there.
When we arrived, the school was closed…” However, the family’s efforts paid off the following year during another tryout. “At 4 PM, the tryout was almost over, and I still hadn’t played. I went up to the coach and asked him to let me play the last ten minutes of the match.”
His boldness paid off and caught the eyes of scouts. “In five minutes, my career had changed…”
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