FEATURE: Ghanaian brothers Justice & Ishmael Opoku chasing big dreams at Inter Milan

There is a feel of big challenge on your shoulders when you are put in a colossal club in one of Italy's most notable football academies and you pitch yourself to match the stars. 

That's the story of two young Ghanaian brothers who are honing their talents at Inter Milan's Appiano Gentile.

Ishmael Opoku is the younger brother of Justice Opoku and the two have been playing for the young Nerazzuris for the past seven seasons through various youth ranks.

Apart from the big challenge of growing through the Inter Milan academy and becoming a regular at the first team at the big stadium of Giuseppe Meazza, there are personal challenges for the duo.

"Playing for Inter is good but not easy. I've been playing for Inter for the past seven years. My brother and myself have bigger dreams and want to get to the top with our career. I want to emulate Pogba".

He says with a beam of smile as he talks about his experiences at the club with GHANAsoccernet.com.

A lot of Ghanaian players passed through the famous Inter Milan academy and youth projects but the difficulty of holding down their huge promise and becoming fully fledged gallants for first team football is another story.

Alfred Duncan, Isaac Donkor and more recently Bright Gyamfi remain the only players who have claimed first team football under their belts at Inter after growing through the academy system at the club.

From the era of brothers Giovanni Kyeremanteng and Basty Kyeremanteng, the Nsoatre-born George Cheremeh, to Francis Boateng, Isaac Ntow Tuah, Said Ahmed Said it has been tough for first team breakthroughs.

Samuel Appiah Darko,  Obuasi-born Samuel Adu Poku and Enoch Owusu are the other players currently at the Inter academy after Gyamfi, and the Opoku brothers.

But the brothers are having a different perspective - Justice at his age is already a big of goal-scoring for the Inter U18 side, winning several teen scoring titles including the top scorer award at the Mediterranean Cup three years ago.

Still on, Ishmael is keeping his promise of scoring -  after regaining full fitness, from the flanks, he has notched 5 goals: "There was an issue with my fitness but I've notched five goals after recovering."

For the impact, Ishmael has admitted it is a tough challenge getting into stardom and has embraced the principles of hard work that will take him to the top.

The brothers have also have leadership qualities as they have captained their sides as they grow along the ranks at the club.

By El Akyereko

Follow the writer on Twitter: @AkyerekOfficial