"I’m doing well," Said Bakari says shortly after finishing the morning training session at Sparta Rotterdam's training complex, Nieuw Terbregge.
The Comorian is in his third season at the Rotterdam outfit, with whom he realised a great escape by avoiding relegation from the Dutch Eredivisie after a dire first half of the 2024/25 season. His playing time isn't the same as before, but that doesn't bother him ahead of defending Comoros at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
"Enough can happen in football. Of course, you want to play more. There have been a lot of games, both with the club and internationally, so I was able to play and stay fit. But I’m doing well, mentally as well. I’m a patient person."
Step by step
The 31-year-old Bakari has been a solid starter in the Netherlands since joining RKC Waalwijk from Belgian amateurs Namur in 2017. The French-born full-back's journey to the top was long and unique, beginning at French amateur club FC Bourget at 13 and moving to Paris Saint-Germain at 16.
After one season at the Paris giants, however, Bakari moved to neighbours Red Star before spending five years in the amateur ranks of French and Belgian football.
"It wasn’t easy, but I always set my sights on playing football," Bakari told Flashscore in an exclusive interview.
"I went step by step, and every step up was a reward that gave me ambition and motivation to make the next step. I didn’t immediately imagine going from the amateurs to the national team, which was my goal when I played in France. I knew I had to go step by step. It wasn’t easy, but the experience made me stronger and a better player."
His time at Chantilly, Turnhout, Bonchamp and Namur was for the better, according to Bakari.
"It was a good experience. I learned something everywhere, also when I went ‘down’, so to speak. I learned the most during the year I joined the amateurs, because I had to work besides playing football, so I got to experience that side of life, too."
High praise for Paris Saint-Germain
During his one season at Paris Saint-Germain, Bakari spent his time playing with the club's amateur teams, despite being in the same generation as modern-day stars such as Mike Maignan, Presnel Kimpembe, Adrian Rabiot and Ferland Mendy. How does he look at his contemporaries?
"I’m happy for them," Bakari said. "I didn’t play with all of them, but I did play with Ferland Mendy, who now plays at Real Madrid. Those guys are hard workers. Mendy has had some very tough times that not many people know about."
The sheer volume of talent in the club's youth ranks left a lasting impression on Bakari, who walked a different path to the aforementioned stars.
"It shows that there’s no single path to the top; everyone has their own career path. I had a good year at PSG. There were a lot of good players. If you get out of there and turn professional, that’s fantastic. Every generation at Paris Saint-Germain has at least ten players who could go professional."
'I came from far'
Bakari's journey from the streets of Saint-Denis to the Dutch Eredivisie and the biggest stages of African football has sometimes made it hard for the Comorian star to put everything in perspective.
"Time goes on, there’s no time to stand still and realise where I am today. I take a moment sometimes to think about what I’ve done in my life, and I feel proud. I came from far," he said.
The 31-year-old is almost certain of clinching a spot in the Comoros' squad for the upcoming AFCON, where the small island nation will compete in Group A with Mali, Zambia and hosts Morocco.
With the tournament around the corner, Bakari realises he's lucky to be here.
"I take a moment to be positive, to reflect on where I came from. It sometimes makes me proud, strong or grateful, because not everyone gets to enjoy this. When I think back on my old teams, like RKC Waalwijk U21, maybe one or two guys went on to play professionally. And then there’s me. You have to be proud of that."
