Coach Opeele Boateng prefers Inkoom to Opare for right back position

Published on: 31 August 2012

By Patrick Akoto

Coach Isaac Opeele Boateng claims Samuel Inkoom is streets ahead of Daniel Opare for the right back position in the Black Stars.

The two players will fight for the  position after being named in the 24-man squad released by head coach Kwesi Appiah for next month’s 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Malawi and the international friendly Liberia.

With the experienced John Pantsil absent, the two budding stars will slug it out for the position for the crucial first leg at the Accra Sports stadium on September 8.

Inkoom call-up has raised eyebrows since he is yet to feature for his Ukranian top flight side Dnipro this season but the assistant coach of the National Under-17 team insists coach Kwesi Appiah should not scratch his head in picking Inkoom over Opare for the position.

“Pantsil is out and I think the right player to replace him is Inkoom,” Boateng told 90 Mintes newspaper

“To me, comparing Inkoom and Opare is a non-starter. Inkoom is more valuable player because he can play natural 2, 3,7or 11,”

“He is more versatile and ambidixerous, and that is the word used to describe Arsenal’s new player Santi Carzola,”

“Inkoom is far ahead of Opare, he has U20 World Cup and senior World Cup experience,”

He added: “Opare has been on the fringes of European football but Inkoom has played in European competitions,”

“Opare did not play at Real Madrid, he was with their second team before he moved to Belgium but Inkoom has played at the top level of his career,”

“He has played at Kotoko and came to the Black Stars through Kotoko.”

In-form Tunisia-based Harrison Afful is likely to get the nod after he featured for the Black Stars during 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Zambia and Lesotho.

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