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Players Abroad of Friday, 27 March 2015

Source: couriermail.com.au

Cameroon-born Yvan Boyokino is a prime example of imports

ADELAIDE Blue Eagles’ Cameroon-born winger Yvan Boyokino is a prime example of imports having a strong place in SA’s domestic competition.

Boyokino, 27, was invited by Cameroon’s 2014 FIFA World Cup coach Volker Finke into a World Cup selection camp in December 2013.

Finke’s international scouts were keeping an eye out on Boyokino knowing he left Italy to play soccer for Blue Eagles in 2013.

“I was invited by Cameroon to play in a tournament. They were getting ready for the World Cup,’’ Boyokino said.

“We were expected to play against Congo and Guinea but unfortunately there was a war happening and we couldn’t move after Togo’s national team got shot a couple of years before that.

“But I played a few games for the national team against club teams. It didn’t go any further but the experience was brilliant.”

Boyokino says he has had verbal contact with Adelaide United after having two brilliant Blue Eagles seasons.

Club chairman Rep Giordano is a huge fan of the winger.

Boyokino was recommended to Blue Eagles by former Adelaide City NSL striker Claudio Pelosi.

“He has brought so much to our club, you can just see that he has played at a very high level and has had very good coaches,’’ Giordano said.

“The way he behaves off and on the park, he is a professional, it’s first class and our club has benefited from having Yvan here for sure, our young players are learning a lot from him.” Boyokino has also represented Italian underage sides after his family made the move to Milan when he was eight years old.

He earned a Serie A professional contract with Brescia as a teenager playing alongside superstars such as Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola before a serious knee injury halted his career.

He recovered to join Italy’s Casale, French clubs Lavaland US Creteil-Lusitanos and Austrian club Bad Aussee before signing for Blue Eagles. He is expected to feature for Blue Eagles in an NPL clash against West Adelaide at Adelaide Shores from 3pm tomorrow.