DR Congo’s Bakambu Ends First Season in China with League Cup

Democratic Republic of Congo and Beijing Guoan striker Cedric Bakambu has finished his first season in China with a hard-earned League Cup win.

Beijing Guoan won the prestigious tournament on away goal rule on Friday after a 2-2 away draw at Shandong Luneng left the two-legged clash leveled at 3-3.

Bakambu was heavily criticized when he left Villarreal for a ‘less competitive’ Chinese league, but the player insists he wanted to take on a new challenge.

He moved to Asia for a then African record of $91m (£65m), a fee even higher than the $77m that Arsenal paid for Premier League top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He had against any logic opted to leave a Villarreal side that was pushing for a champions league spot, only to join a team that had finished ninth in the Chinese Super League.

Fast forward eight months on, Bakambu has managed to transform his side from mid-table status to league contenders.

He inspired them in a fairytale cup run to the final and played a pivotal role to help the underdogs win their first league cup since 2003.

The 27-year-old scored four crucial goals in five League Cup matches, on top of the 19 league goals despite missing seven games while on the sidelines.

“We did it, winning the Cup final to complete an amazing season,” Bakambu told BBC Sport.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “You want to achieve success as a professional footballer, and it’s a special feeling to celebrate in my first season in China.”   [/perfectpullquote]

“We knew it was going to be tough, but the team stood strong with our fans solidly behind us. Now we can celebrate a tough season and focus on achieving more in the coming years,” he added.

With this win, Beijing Guoan secured a spot in the group phase of next year’s Asian Champions League, a chance for him to prove to the world he still has what it takes at a higher level.