Bassogog made 16 appearances and notched two assists for the Hammerheads in the USL in 2015 before his clear potential saw him make a summer move to Danish SuperLiga club AaB. Since then, his rapid ascent has continued. Four goals in 21 appearances for AaB this season saw him called into Cameroon’s squad for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, where he has come to the fore for the Indomitable Lions.

Named the Man of the Match in Cameroon’s second game of the tournament, a 2-1 victory against Guinea-Bissau, Bassogog scored his second goal for his country to seal a 2-0 win on Thursday night against Ghana in the tournament’s semifinals, and earned a second Man of the Match honor.

“This is my first Africa Cup of Nations and for most of my colleagues too, and we are in the final, something which does not happen often,” Bassogog said following the semifinal win against Ghana. “It gives me more confidence. I’m happy to score in the semifinals. It is a good time to score in my first semis at the Africa Cup of Nations. Now, we will prepare for the final and try to reverse what happened in 2008 [when Egypt beat Cameroon 1-0 in the final].”

Cameroon now has the chance to claim its fifth AFCON championship, and the first since 2002, when it squares off with Egypt at the Stade de l’Amitie (2 p.m. ET | BeIN Sports). With Bassogog being already named one of the tournament’s breakout players, a win would provide a memorable end to this chapter of his professional journey.