After France, Spain, Turkey and Djibouti, Carlos Kameni, the former goalkeeper of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon (73 caps) discovered his fifth championship, that of Andorra. Under contract with UE Santa Coloma, the 2002 African champion tells us about this unprecedented experience.
His penultimate contract, with Arta/Solar 7, the ambitious Djibouti club, had already surprised many. Last August, Carlos Kameni (39) agreed to sign a season-long contract with UE Santa Coloma, one of Andorra's top clubs. Injured in October, the Cameroonian goalkeeper, who has played for Le Havre, Espanyol Barcelona, Malaga and Fenerbahce Istanbul, returned to the field in February. Before Sunday's match against UE Sant Julia, counting for the 20th day, he agreed to talk about his stay in the Principality.
How did you end up at UE Santa Coloma in Andorra?
I had left Djibouti a few months earlier, but I still wanted to play, to enjoy myself. I had offers in Bolivia, Chile and Malaysia. But my wife and children live in Malaga, and I didn't want to move too far away. When I was in Djibouti, I didn't see them much, and that was a burden. The physical trainer of UE Santa Coloma, a Spaniard I had known in Malaga, asked me if I would be interested in coming to play in Andorra. I really didn't know much about the local league, but I quickly agreed. Not only did it give me the opportunity to play again, but also to be close enough to my family and to be able to visit them easily, since there is an airport in Barcelona, two hours away from Andorra. I signed at the end of the summer mercato, at the end of August.
But you suffered an injury quite quickly...
Yes, in October. A muscular injury, quite long to heal. So I only started competing again in February.
How is your stay in Andorra going?
From a sporting point of view, I play in a team that regularly competes in the European Cup. The objective is to qualify for the Europa League Conference. We are 4th, so it is still feasible. The championship is semi-professional. There are players who live only from soccer, others have a job on the side. There are foreign players, a lot of Spaniards at the end of their career, or others, younger, who went through training centers in Spain but could not break through. The level of the championship has obviously nothing to do with those of Spain and Turkey. However, there is a lot of commitment. The teams - there are 8 of them - want to qualify for a European competition or to maintain their position, there is a real competitive spirit.
A few months earlier, you were playing in Djibouti, one of the hottest countries in the world...
It's a big difference. I went from 45° in the shade to negative temperatures! Here, it is cold. We train under the snow. There is a time of adaptation necessary. We train on synthetic surfaces. All the matches take place on Sunday, on the same day, on the same synthetic pitch. For example, on Sunday, we will play at 11 am! And then we'll stay at the stadium to watch at least one more game. There are not many people in the stands to watch the games. As someone who has played in the Spanish and Turkish leagues, it's a bit strange, even though in Djibouti I learned to play in front of very small stands!
And what about your daily life?
Andorra is a beautiful little country. It's very quiet, very safe. There is no stress, you can walk around in complete safety. It's the ideal place for those who like to ski or go shopping, for example. It's a nice place to live, but there is obviously much less to do than in Istanbul, Barcelona or Malaga. In addition, people speak Spanish and French in Andorra, which makes it easier to adapt.
Is it still financially interesting?
You know, I didn't come for the money. I have a decent salary, but that's not important. I earned more in Djibouti, but my motivation is to play. I'm like a 22-year-old kid, I'm happy to go and train, whether it's in the heat of Djibouti or in the snow of Andorra, and to play. Soccer is my passion, I still feel capable of playing for a few years, but obviously, it's the body that decides.
Are you thinking about next season?
I have a contract until June 30. We'll see with the management. I know that other clubs, in Andorra and elsewhere, are looking at me. I still want to have fun on the field. I knew Djibouti, I discover Andorra. These are experiences that I probably wouldn't have thought of a few years ago, but they are worth having. I spent a really enriching season in Djibouti. Yes, it was very hot there, the field on which we played and trained was hard as cement, there was not much to do there, but with the local players and those, like me (Alex Song, Dany Nounkeu, Alain Traoré, Diafra Sakho) who had agreed to join Arta Solar, we had a great time, we won titles, I made great encounters ... I really do not regret anything!
