Yannick Bolasie inspired DR Congo to a 1-1 draw in their Group B opener at the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Equatorial Guinea 2015 in Ebebiyin. The Crystal Palace forward got the equalizer for his side and his standout performance was rewarded with the Orange Man of the Match and Samsung Fair Player of the match. Flanked by his Athletics Performance coach, Ray Wilson, the 25-year old tells Cafonline.com his readiness to dine with the big guns of African football at the Africa Cup of Nations, expectations and the chances of the DR Congo team.
He also talks about how his performance this season and how some of his Congolese teammates are trying to learn English. Read more on the interview with Cafonline.com below;
Cafonline.com: Are you loving the atmosphere in Ebebiyin?
Yannick Bolasie: The atmosphere is good and is finally a relief that the game is here. The place is coming to shape and there is no distraction off the pitch. Personally, I can’t wait to play.
At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, you turned down an invitation to play for DR Congo. What was the motivation this time?
In 2013, I had just moved to Crystal Palace. I had started to play games and that was what I wanted to do. Together with my physio (Ray Wilson), we decided it was the best decision for me as I didn’t want any disruption. Four months afterwards, I was called up and I answered it. Nobody would want to miss the AFCON, but personally it was a good choice. We (Crystal Palace) got promoted and now the AFCON is back.
Being your first AFCON, are you ready for the physical nature of the African game?
Everyone is been talking about tackles. It will be tough. Personally, I’m looking forward to it. Physically I’m ready. I normally take kicks in the English Premier League, so it is nothing new for me. There are some great players at the tournament and I want to prove that I’m on side with them as one of the best in Africa.
Was it a difficult decision to leave for the AFCON when you have been playing well with Crystal Palace?
We know the AFCON is played in January so mind was on it. I don’t think it was a difficult decision. At the time, I was playing well in the Premier League and is a bit of a dilemma. At the same time, I want to do well for my country. It is my first AFCON and I want to play well.
Does being one of the players to watch at the tournament put pressure on you?
I wouldn’t say so. I have learnt how to deal with pressure. It’s a game of football and I want to go out there and enjoy. If am not enjoying the game, then there’s something wrong. That kind of awareness people have for me has good and bad impact. Personally, I’m concentrating on doing well for my team.
What do you make of your team’s chances in Group B which has Cape Verde, Tunisia and Zambia?
Our group in the qualifiers (with Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone) was tough but I always had the confident we would go through as the third best team especially after being Sierra Leone. It turned out to go our way and now we have to take advantage at the tournament. Looking at all the groups, C and D is one that you wouldn’t want to be in. Every group is tough though. Cape Verde has some quality players, Tunisia are always good despite the fact that I don’t know any of their players. Zambia were champions in 2012. To be honest, if I had choice, I would want to be in this group (Group B).
What are the expectations of the Congolese fans and how far do you want to go?
Expectation is really high. When you play a game and 60,000 fans turn up, that’s incredible. It shows that we are a big football nation. We have won the AFCON twice and there are a lot of expectations, with the current squad having players coming from Europe. We want to get out of the group stage and anything can happen.
Do we have the best 16 teams from Africa at this tournament?
That is questionable. Egypt and Nigeria are two stand outs that did not make it. South Africa is here and Burkina Faso has some good players too. The only three teams missing are Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria.
Which team is your favourite to lift the title?
On paper, Algeria are really strong. Cote d’Ivoire is also a strong side and I like Cameroon as well. If there was a top five, I would put Senegal (have some good players in England) and Ghana. Ghana has good players like Christian Atsu (played against him at Everton) and my friend Kwesi Appiah is part of the team. Asamoah Gyan is still scoring and there Mubarak Wakaso from Celtic. For DR Congo, we like the challenge. We don’t care what others think of us but we have players who can hurt teams.
Which five players will you pick as the ones to watch out for?
Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire), Yacine Brahimi (Algeria), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Cheick Kouyate (Senegal) and Nabil Bentaleb (Algeria).
Do you think the Ebola outbreak will have an impact on the tournament?
I don’t really think so as long as everyone knows the routine. Also, everyone gets tested before getting here (Equatorial Guinea). I don’t know why they couldn’t do it in Morocco.
Which player inspires you most?
Ronaldo of Brazil. I also like Ronaldinho. My skills come out naturally when I’m enjoying a game. I try to enjoy myself because when you force it doesn’t really come.
What is your relationship with your colleagues?
The camp is very good and everyone is close to each other. A lot of the players are trying to learn English to communicate, which is funny (laughs). The coach (Florent Ibenge) is good and made us go through some real tough days.
