Tangara is loving life at Bognor - and wants to pay back fans for their love

Amadou Tangara has acquired cult status at Bognor and admits he is feeling the love -- now he wants to pay fans back and be part of a successful Rocks side.
Amadou Tangara is loving life at Bognor - but knows the team need to pick up more victories / Picture: Martin DenyerAmadou Tangara is loving life at Bognor - but knows the team need to pick up more victories / Picture: Martin Denyer
Amadou Tangara is loving life at Bognor - but knows the team need to pick up more victories / Picture: Martin Denyer

The Nye Camp No.1 says he feels like he has been adopted by supporters and he is desperate to bring fans something to cheer about under manager Jack Pearce and coach Robbie Blake.

Tangara pulled off a string of super saves in Bognor' s 2-2 draw with Horsham in the Isthmian premier division on Saturday but couldn't deny the Hornets a last-gasp leveller, meaning the home side, in 12th position in the league standings, missed out on valuable points as they bid to reach the play-off places.

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Ethan Robb made it 1-0 on 27 minutes before a Tom Kavanagh penalty near the hour mark made it 1-1. Then Jordy Mongoy hit a blistering strike for 2-1 before Tom Richards’ stoppage time equaliser. In fairness, it was no more than the visitors deserved in a compelling Sussex showdown. But the manner in which the Rocks succumbed was a snapshot of their home form this term.

It left the Ivory Coast custodian frustrated yet resolute in his quest to help the cause. Tangara, who joined the club in October 2019 after leaving Kingstonian, knows that a Sussex Senior Cup quarter final tie at home to Sussex rivals Worthing on Tuesday presents a real chance of progressing to snare silverware this season.

But the Rebels will be a tough nut to crack -- they are top of the Isthmian premier division and look certain to gain promotion. Although the Rocks picked up a 2-0 win at Woodside Road early in the campaign, Adam Hinshelwood's side took their revenge with a convincing 3-1 win at Nyewood Lane in December.

Speaking to Rocks Radio after the draw with Dominic di Paola's outfit, Tangara said: "I'm livid -- we should have managed the game much, much better; with 30 seconds to go we had possession up the field and lost the ball and threw the game away. It's little things like that, if we want to achieve anything, that are just not good enough.

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"I'm doing my best to help the team as much as I can. I do a lot of extra training sessions. I train week in, week out when I’m not training with the club. I want to do better for myself and for Bognor Regis Town. After the game we were absolutely gutted in the dressing room, completely silent. The effort, commitment, everything was there except for that little bit of game management. We are a young team and we are learning a hard way. We must get better.

"I've been adopted here, Bognor Regis is my second home -- the fans here, especially the young ones, I can't put into words the love I am getting. I really appreciate it, I really appreciate the club, the fans.

"That's why I want to be part of something at this football club. I know we can achieve something, we are not far away. We must keep working, we must keep going to give the fans something to cheer about because they are certainly giving us everything they have got. They are supporting is and we are going to have to give something back.”