APR FC defender Salomon Banga Bindjeme has called club assistant coach Karim Khouda a ‘bad guy’ who was behind his struggles during his dismal six-month spell at the club.
The Cameroon international will join Iraqi side Al-Shorta after the club paid APR FC a reported $70,000 to secure his services.
Bindjeme, 28, had 18 months left on his two-year deal with the army side before he decided to leave the club because he was ‘not given enough playing time’.
"As a professional athlete and a member of the Cameroon national team, I need to get playing time," he said.
The defender revealed that head coach Thierry Froger could not use him because his assistant coach Khouda had no confidence in him.
"Today, let me say it in front of the media, the problem is not coach [Froger]. He is not bad; the bad guy is his assistant,” Bindjeme told the press after bidding an emotional farewell to APR fans after club’s 5-2 win over Marines on Wednesday, February 7.
"Everyone saw it; he didn&039;t want me to play. When I was given time, I showed what I could do, but it didn't change anything. It wasn't my problem; it was the coach's."
"Even after the match, everyone was happy for me and gave me words of encouragement, but he couldn't even look into my eyes. He is a bad person. I don't know what I did to him."
Bindjeme represented Cameroon in the AFCON 2018 and Rigobert Song wanted him to be part of his 27-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations which concludes in Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday, February 11.
However, the coach could not hand him a call up because he had limited playing time at APR FC.
"Rigobert Song was with us at CHAN 2018 in Morocco. He knows my abilities really well, and we have frequent conversations. He asked me why I wasn't playing while he wanted to call me up for the AFCON. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it because I wasn't playing,” claims Bindjeme.
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Emotional farewell
Bindjeme, 28, received an emotional farewell from APR fans and he thanked them for the support they showed him since he arrived at the club.
"It's very difficult to see these people chanting and screaming my name, protesting that I shouldn't leave. It shows me how much the club valued me. It touched my heart. It's more than just football, it's life," he said.
Banga admitted that he leaves APR with an unfinished business, having failed to win a single title with the club.
"When I left Cameroon, I had my own goals. Unfortunately, I couldn't achieve them with APR. We lost the Super Cup to Rayon and Heroes Cup to Police FC."