A comfortable apartment, in one of the beautiful areas of Baku.
It was there, in the capital of Azerbaijan, that Kévin Koubemba (27) set down his suitcases a little over two years ago, with his wife and his three-year-old boy.
Hired initially with Sabail, the striker has been working since the heyday of Sabah FK, based in Baku like the majority of the other six clubs that make up the Azeri championship.
Nothing, however, predestined the native of Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne), passed through Amiens, Lille, and Bulgaria, to this astonishing destination.
Otherwise his thirst for discovery.
He remembers well his arrival in 2018 in the city nicknamed by some "the new Dubai of the Caucasus".
“I was very well received by my previous club, Sabail, with which I stayed for a year.
It was done in a fairly classic way.
They were looking for a profile like mine and I offered them my candidacy.
I signed directly, without doing any test, before joining them for an internship in Turkey.
"
Like others, the Franco-Congolese (6 selections) is on the move.
Passed by the Amiens training center, he discovered Ligue 1 with LOSC thanks to René Girard (8 matches in total).
He was then loaned for a season to Stade Brestois, which then played in Ligue 2, then joined Sint-Truiden (Belgian D1) for a year.
Then direction Bulgaria and CSKA Sofia for a season and a half, a return to France in Bourg-en-Bresse (L2), and therefore Azerbaijan.
The Columérien went from Sabail to Sabah FK./DR
“Each time, I adapt to the place a little faster.
It's part of the life of a traveling expat.
When I arrived in Baku, I was pleasantly surprised by the city (Editor's note: which has a quarter of the country's population).
We are lucky to be very well settled in a beautiful neighborhood.
The Caspian Sea is only two minutes away, but you can't swim there, the currents are too strong.
"
Between 2017 and 2018, Kévin Koubemba went through Bulgaria.
A country that marked him, where his son was also born: “I loved Sofia.
When I arrive in a totally unknown place like this, I try to take an interest in its history, its culture, which is what makes it so special.
These two cities are very beautiful, with a lot of similarities.
They are in full expansion and show their wealth, with the opposite extreme poverty.
I could see it because our training ground is far from the city center.
Obviously, I am sensitive to it.
"
"It is not a vital need to travel"
Twice a year, more precisely at each break, the Columérien returns to Seine-et-Marne to find his mother, his big sister, his little brother, and his childhood friends, those of the Upper Town district.
“I miss them, of course.
There are lots of ways to stay in touch, but that doesn't replace physical presence.
My family has not yet come to Azerbaijan, as has been the case on several occasions in Bulgaria.
"
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With five goals to his credit (including three since January), he has so far failed to lift his team from last place in the standings.
Whoever would like to be King of Sabah, however, does not think about his future: “The club have shown me their confidence and I want to give it back by trying to stay here.
Traveling is not a vital need for my career.
I had the chance to see other countries, and it was a bit of the same experience each time.
The main thing is to ensure the safety of my family.
"