New signing: Selangor coach Kim Pan-gon welcoming Hugo Boumous to the club.
PETALING JAYA: The hope of a lifting a trophy this season is still alive for Selangor and this is the motivation driving the Red Giants’ new import Hugo Boumous.
The 30-year-old Frenchman, who plays in the attacking midfield position, was announced as the latest signing yesterday to strengthen former national coach Kim Pan-gon’s squad in the hunt for a title this year. Boumous promised to give his all to help Selangor, who still have a chance to win silverware in two competitions - the Malaysia Cup and the Asean Club Championship.
“We are still competing in the league and several tournaments, so our target is to finish the season in the best position,” he said in statement.
“I will give everything to help the team. I am very excited to meet the fans, so see you at the stadium soon.’’
For the record, Selangor are out of contention in two tournaments – the FA Cup and the Asian Champions League II (ACL II). They are also far behind Johor Darul Ta’zim in the Super League title race, with the Southern Tigers sitting on top with 45 points with Selangor second on 31.
Boumous’ confidence, however, has been further boosted by the presence of other quality players in the squad.
“I have quality teammates and the best coaching staff. I am very excited to be part of this family,” said Boumous, who has made a name for himself in the Indian Super League (ISL).
He began his career in France with Stade Laval B, making 51 appearances and scoring 11 goals before being promoted to the Stade Lavallois first team, where he played in Ligue 2 and the French Cup with three appearances and two goals.
He then moved to Morocco to join Moghreb Tetouan but it was in the ISL where he made a big impact.
Boumous was named the league’s best player, winning the ISL Golden Ball award for the 2019-2020 season after making 47 appearances, scoring 20 goals and providing 19 assists with FC Goa. Boumous then joined Mumbai City, contributing six goals and 10 assists in 16 matches.
He then continued his success with Mohun Bagan SG, making 70 appearances, recording 14 goals and 19 assists to help the club win several domestic titles including two ISL League Shields, two ISL playoff champions titles, the Durand Cup and the Super Cup.
The following season, he joined Odisha FC, and played a key role as the team’s attacking architect by scoring six goals and providing seven assists in 22 matches.
