Inkoom Will Fight For Ghana Starting Role

Samuel Inkoom

Defender Samuel Inkoom has vowed to fight for a starting place in the Black Stars with heightened competition in the right-back role.

Leicester City new signing John Pantsil is favoured at right-back and Standard Liege’s Daniel Opare also in the frame for the same position.

Opare excelled in a make-shift left-back role as a second half substitute against England in March and underlined his abilities with a sublime performance in the 3-1 win over Congo in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifier.

It is widely feared Pantsil’s move to second-tier of English side Leicester City could affect his chances of playing for the Black Stars

GHANAsoccernet sources say Serbian trainer Goran Stevanovic prefers deploying Opare on the right with FC Porto impressive defender David Addy on the left.

This leaves Inkoom on the bench but the FC Dnipro player is unwavering and says he will fight for a place in the team.

“For me it’s good because if I am not there Opare can play, if Opare is not there I can play, if John Paintsil is not there the two of us can play,” said on the Oti Adjei report on TV3.

“It’s not exactly a fight but we need to fight for positions. Everybody wants to play and I believe it will help Ghanaians.

“If we are in a team and the squad is not intensive for me I can take it that I will not train well. I can take it for granted that I will play. But if I know that Opare is there, John Paintsil is there it shows that you need to work hard.”

“For me it’s very important. If Opare sees me in black stars camp he will say to himself he needs to work hard, if John sees me he will say he needs to work hard’.

“And I see the two players I will resolve to do same. That is why I am saying it brings a lot to the team.”

Inkoom captained Ghana’s Olympic team to qualify for the 2011 All Africa Games beating rivals Nigeria in the final eliminator.