For Bassong, signing for the Impact always meant coming back home.
But like with any professional athlete, the prospect of returning home isn’t the only factor at play. After having left home at the age of 14 to pursue an opportunity in Belgium, Bassong needed to make sure that signing with the Impact made sense for him on a professional level, and not just an emotional one.
After weeks of discussion between both sides, Bassong finally had a phone call with the Impact’s sporting director, Olivier Renard, who outlined the club’s plan, and explained the important role that young players, such as himself, would play going forward.
That’s all Zorhan needed to make it official.
“I had different offers on the table that I discussed with my family, but when I spoke to Olivier Renard, I was convinced that this was the right project,” explained full-back Zorhan Bassong. “I did not hesitate for one second after speaking with him.”
Bassong, a versatile, young Canadian international, joins the Impact on a two-year contract, with two option years, from Cercle Brugge in Belgium’s Jupiter Pro League, whom he joined in 2019.
“Frankly, I’m very happy to be back,” explained Bassong. “I grew up here, my family and friends are here. I spent a big part of high school here. I’m very attached to this country and to Quebec. I’m happy to return to all of this. I feel a certain sense of pride, coming back here to defend the club’s colours.”
Born to a Belgian mother and a Cameroonian father, one of Zorhan’s favourite players of the club he now represents is fellow Cameroonian left-back Ambroise Oyongo, who spent three seasons with the Impact from 2015 to 2017. A full-back himself, Zorhan’s style can be described as similar to that of Oyongo’s, in the sense that both can contribute offensively while performing their defensive duties throughout 90 minutes.
But Bassong’s memories of the Impact go way beyond the MLS era.
“I remember this one guy I used to love watching, who is now an assistant coach with the Canadian men’s national team,” said Bassong. “I even have a picture with Mauro Biello. Even Patrick Leduc, a very good Impact player who trained me when I was in the third grade. These people are role models for me. They make you want to follow in their footsteps.”
Bassong, who is now under a 14-day quarantine since his arrival in Montreal, will join the team’s training camp in 2021, as he is not eligible to participate in this year’s Concacaf Champions League, which continues on December 15 for Montreal.
