Oumar Kalabane, transferred to FC Gabala in the last summer, finally talks to the Gabala FK newspaper after a long delay. The defender from Guinea gave answers to our questions that might be of interest.

- How do you feel with Gabala?

- It is almost 9 months I have been playing for Azerbaijan and I feel happy here. Gabala is a very good team made up with strong players. I am really satisfied with my life as a foreign player in Azerbaijan. 

-- You have played for Tunis, France, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates before Gabala. Which one was more comfortable to you with its domestic league championship?  

- The France was better amongst them. They prefer tactical game where every player well understands his individual task and knows how to play next. For example, it is not this way in Turkish  Super League. They focus on physical form most.

- What about the point drew you to Gabala?

- I did need to build up more my football career and when I got the offer from Gabala I found it better chance on my way and accepted it with great pleasure. Before arriving here, I knew only the name of Azerbaijan but nothing about its football. 

There is no any difficulties for my fitting to the club as Victor Mendy and Yannick Kamanan are also here who I know them from Turkey. Besides, here the people paid hot attention on me since my first day in Gabala. We made quick friendship with Anar Nazirov, Vurghun Huseynov and some others.

I face little difficulties living alone in other countries. The case is not the country but it is really living without my family for 9 months that makes some problems.

 

- Why do you not bring your family to Azerbaijan? 

- The problem is that my third baby was born in France and his documents are still not processed. This is what prevents me from bringing my family here. But I am a professional footballer, so the far distance from my family does not make any problems to my play.

Although I performed well in some games, there are also other matches that I played not in my best. If I performed met well, it mostly depends on the team act in the game. This is really common cases in football.  

-- What is you lack, you think, in your performance as a defender?

- When I had a talk with coach Ramiz Mammadov, he said I was slow at my speed. But I play better with the head as a strong defender and my technical play is also good. 

 

-- How are you getting on with the Genua national team? 

-- I have been playing for my native provisional team since 2005. I was even a captain for the earlier period, but now I play as a vise captain of the squad. The Genua national team play in their specific way in Africa. But unfortunately, we were unable to play in the Africa Cup of Nations in January of this year. 

Currently we play in the second qualifying round. There are 4 team in the group. We reached to the second place with 4 points from 3 tours. The first-place team will get a tally to the World Cup. I mean we still have a chance to go to Brazil. 

- What do you talk to your friend in Genua about Azerbaijan?

- They surprised hearing of me leaving to Azerbaijan. They asked "is there football in that country?". But I always tell them good words about Azerbaijan and say here the football is really developing.

- You appeared in our domestic media thinking about to leave FC Gabala in January this year. What was really happening about you?

- In the first half of the season, I played against Simurg for last. In that game, the head coach seemed dissatisfied about me and said there was no more need for me in the team to play the next game against Turan. Ans he even suggested me to go back to France. After the New Year holiday, I worked hard in the Antalya training camp. Now it seems I made some difference in my performance that helped me to stay in the team. 

- Which is your favorite performance for Gabala?

- It was against Khazar Lankaran 2 tours before. It was paramount importance to win the game to get a foothold in the top six. I kept 2 thoughts in my mind then: we have to win or I will die in the field after losing the game. Fortunately, we won that match.

- Gabala finished their deal with the domestic cup tournament. The Premier League is the only chance on our way to the Eurocup matches. What do you think about the current progress of Gabala in the league?

- We still have a great chance. There are some strong players that you cannot find in other clubs. I mean Dodo, Rashad Abdullayev, Yannick Kamanan, Victor Mendy. I see no team stronger than Gabala in Azerbaijan. We even have a chance to be champions. The second place is also not bad at the end of the championship.

Oumar Kalabane

Birth date: 08.04.1981

Birth place: Conakry, Genua

Height: 191 cm

Amplua: defender

Career:

2000-2005- Etoile,

Tunis – 81 games, 3 goals

2004-2005- Ettifaq,

Saudi Arabia - 25 games

2005-2007- Oser,

France - 20 games

2007-2011- Manisaspor,

Turkey – 71 games, 3 goals

2011-2012 Dafra,

UAA – 26 games

2012- Gabala

Gabala FK newspaper