Breaking into the Canon de Yaoundé first team at only 16 was a huge leap forwards for Jean Claude. In the next few years he established himself as a regular for a team considered emblematic of Cameroonian football. In the season following Cameroon’s outstanding performance at the 1990 World Cup, JC helped Canon to become champions and his performances in the red and green earned him a call-up to the U20 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Following two further successful seasons with Canon, during which the team lifted the Cameroonian Cup (1993) and JC was appointed captain at only 19, he again participated in the CAN U20 tournament, this time in Mauritius in 1993. Here on this tiny island, a Cameroon team comprising budding stars such as Rigobert Song and Marc-Vivien Foé battled it out with the Nigeria of Taribo West, Babangida and Jay-Jay Okocha as well as the Black Starlets of Ghana, led by future Bayern Munich superstar Osei Kuffour. JC and his team got as far as the final, but lost out 2-0 to a powerful Ghana side.

After their successful tournament in Mauritius, the same core team set out for the U20 World Cup in Australia in March that year. Unfortunately they fell at the first hurdle winning only one match in the group stages and going out ignominiously. Nonetheless, all of these experiences abroad immersed in other cultures and surrounded by people from every corner of the world made a huge impression on the young Jean Claude. It was upon his return from Australia that JC determined to head for Europe, and it wouldn’t be long before his dreams were realised…

Coming soon - Part 3: No longer a kid