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With Senegal, Dougou Camara intends to tackle the Women’s Handball CAN in Cameroon (8 to 18 June) with the ambition of going to the end and bringing down the unsinkable Angola. The former captain of the Lions, who missed the latest edition, is more than ever motivated to guide Senegal to his first title as African champion.
RFI: We imagine it’s a pleasure for you to play a CAN after missing it in 2018 due to injury …
Dougou Camara: Exactly, I am very happy and very motivated. Missing the 2012 edition was a huge blow, because I was preparing to try to take the challenge and beat Tunisia. In 2016, we were disqualified because of her. In 2018, it was a big blow to injure myself for a month in the competition when I was in my best shape. But here I am back for my second CAN.
CAN handball has been postponed by six months due to the health crisis. Will there not be a problem with physical fitness with a competition that will be played at the end of the season?
It’s true that the season has been long with the Covid crisis and the many matches have been postponed, but I think that coming back to Dakar for a week, seeing the girls again, being in our bubble and having to prepare behind closed doors, that has updated a lot. The heat in Dakar allows us to be in the bath a bit before we go to Cameroon. It is a good exercise before going to CAN.
The health crisis and the many measures that come with it are also an important factor to take into account when dealing with this CAN?
Yes, this is very important to take into account quite simply, because if there is a case of covid, the whole team risks being disqualified. So it’s really important to be careful. Since we did our latest PCR test in our club, the goal is to be in our bubble, not to go right or left or to meet the parents before departure. Being in our bubble does not mean welcoming family members even though we are in our country. I think all of these victims should enable us to avoid Covid-19 and make a good CAN.
“It has been a while since the Senegalese people celebrated a victory”
You are coming out of a complicated season due to the health crisis, but also the sporting crisis with your Fleury club because it was necessary to stay quite late in the elite with plays. Senegal could not participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (TQO) in March either. Is this CAN an additional source of motivation for you and the entire selection?
Clear. I think it’s been a while since the Senegalese people celebrated a victory in addition to the second place for our football lions at CAN 2019 and beach soccer selection who finished champion a week ago. CAN, it’s good for us and we have to pick it up and take the last step. We are all aware of that and we are all determined.
Disqualification 2016, defeat in the final 2018 against Angola. Does the selection feed on these more or less happy experiences?
2016 and 2018 was our goal to secure a place for the world championships and it was a great satisfaction to have reached the final 2018. Now it is obvious that we can no longer be happy with just one. Qualification, we really want to pick up this cup and bring it back to the Senegalese people. That would be a great reward.
“With each of us, the coach has found the best”
You are approaching this CAN without anyone who could have been of much help, Hatadou Sako who retired internationally. She stops the national team when she is only 25 years old and after a fantastic season with Metz (quarter-finalist in the Champions League). She could have given you this valuable experience in this type of competition.
It’s true, she could have been a great asset to us, everyone is aware of that. I grew up with her, I know her very well. She made a choice, it’s her choice. We must respect that, we cannot discuss this choice. I understand her, she did her part of the job. Senegal has taken her a lot and she has also brought a lot to Senegal.
Frédéric Bougeant has been head of Senegal for five years and has made a lot of progress. What do you want to remove personally from everything he has given you?
He’s a coach who made me grow tremendously. He is someone who has been able to use my qualities within the group, in the game. For each of us, he has been able to find the best and play situations similar to ours. It is a game that is specific to each of us, the team adapts to each other’s games. This is what we have missed in previous years. Even when it comes to organization, the team has come a long way with him. These are small things, but that’s what got us to this point. We started far from it. He also helped us in the mental contribution. The match against Tunisia in 2016, for example, we left with fear, for Tunisia for us it was the big team that risked bringing down Angola. On the pitch, we realized that tactically everything the coach asks us to do worked properly. We stepped through the trail during this competition and raised our game level.
This year, the favorite is still Angola with its 13 titles from the last 16 African Championships. Are Angolan women eligible this year?
I think they can be taken and we will put it down for Covid. It has not been much training, but it suits everyone. We were lucky to have our players in France, we had no complications, we could train. I know that Angola has had training complications. My teammate in Fleury Isabel Guialo has been able to train, but I think most of the team, those who play in Angola, have been a bit away in physical preparation. I think this is the year or never to take them that way. Although this year it’s not just Angola. There are many reinforcements in many teams like Guinea, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville.
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