Yesterday, Ben Cabango made his senior Wales debut, in the UEFA Nations League game against Finland, coming on for Daniel James late in the game, which Wales won 1-0.
https://twitter.com/tnsfc/status/1301622646912823296
Ben was on loan at Park Hall from Swansea City during the first half of the 2018/2019 season, and in this article we want to briefly look back at his time with us.
Signing ahead of the season itself, our first interview with Ben, as we introduced him to the TNS FC fans, was in Portugal, as he joined the squad for a training camp.
In at the deep end, he made his UEFA Champions League debut against the Macedonian side, KF Shkëndija. They talk about a game of two halves, this was a draw of opposites, as The New Saints lost 5-0 on the road and almost pulled off an incredible turnaround at Park Hall.
Unfortunately, the 4-0 victory was just short of ensuring the club’s name once again entering the record books. However, in with the corporate disappointment was personal joy, as Cabango scored his first (and only to date), Champions League goal.
His was the third, as TNS found themselves 3-0 up with just thirty-five minutes on the clock, with Dean Ebbe and Danny Redmond the other goalscorers. Unfortunately, Kurtis Byrne’s 90+6 goal came too late for the ultimate comeback.
We chatted with the on-loan defender after the game though and you can watch that below.
Ben fitted in very well at Park Hall, and during an overnight stay prior to a game against Carmarthen Town, he gave Josh Hmami a Welsh lesson…
https://www.facebook.com/TheNewSaintsFC/posts/3509851645739825?__xts__[0]=68.ARDlMNjdnGgK2C8VW4ER36-Z_F4Txvy8pSFou12p0jQIm5JWY57DsPvOgd9fr5Egm5hBBHVt1IWKO6dfN-KDT7bcnk8w7SK6Ru_UxKZ6IgtigobW9PCB7Q0n519GcwtQdEs50sLU77PK77PX5aVRjSRPamb1hgSq0hcv-iHx8zxOrExKqkXfVk9CnVEjXETxWfUVKvpFB3wr2yL62DgpxlfRnmXVdADqTsIUgEOt45DTdtTE2ZCbMLqMdHxrtOIghNMU9sPJrnESZtxLV_oFn7bGazIERfGRHHnzK_2bftHa6_IO3yy-nK5lVjaGO0Y4sX87It1IJh7FEhTfuxPn-dcr8tCGcmZQBVmZK898uHmtghxvhRRpJxBeKaHykg7aQg1cRhanGtCZ_8bebxUSYTHCBHSOoyB-JsJJKv0KidFfmlS2EeUJO3amtg9OgfzEeEvZBpMt8OfTwWucp7fubZ2JxBX1a61KPqzmdsI_GTlMieNpbPBehhE3ZaD45jaKKUFz&__tn__=-R
His final game for The New Saints before returning to the Liberty Stadium, was on January 1, 2019, when Scott Ruscoe’s side won 3-0 on the road at Cefn Druids.
Everyone at Park Hall wishes Ben Cabango all the very best for the future. Pob lwc, Ben. Adeg yma o’r flwyddyn, edrych at y dyfodol sydd rhaid!
Lead image from the UEFA Champions League game against KF Shkëndija at Park Hall. Courtesy of Brian Jones.
