Hearts of Oak closes in on former Black Stars defender Samuel Inkoom after spotted in training
Ghana Premier League champions Hearts of Oak are set to beat rivals Asante Kotoko to the signing of top notch defender Samuel Inkoom. The Phobians snatched former AC and Inter midfielder Sully Muntari from their rivals last month and are on the verge of completing a double move over current leaders.
Hearts have the edge over Kotoko after Samuel Inkoom spotted training with Samuel Boadu’s men amid the intention of a move next season.
The former Asante Kotoko right-back who is without a club is eyeing a move to the reigning Ghanaian champions. Hearts boast one of the best squad in the current season but has struggled in the Ghana Premier League so far.
Having signed Gladson Awako from Great Olympics at the beginning of the season and Sulley Muntari in the second round, Hearts of Oak poorly sit 6th place with only 7 wins out of 20 games.
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The club’s ambition to bound back to their glory days are still on course with signing quality and experience players on the cards. After the signing of Muntari on a free agent, further more signing of former Black Stars players are expected with Samuel Inkoom the latest Hearts could add to their squad.
Inkoom has been in Ghana for some time now with a relaunch of career goal on his side. The former Asante Kotoko defender has been linked with a reunion at the Baba Yara Stadium since the beginning of the Ghana Premier League second round.
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But it appears the potential reunion has been hampered after beginning training with Kotoko’s rivals Hearts of Oak. Tuesday’s reports in Ghana claim that Inkoom was spotted in Hearts’ preparation training for their next GPL game against Ash Gold at Accra Sports Stadium.
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Inkoom earlier this year said he had been in touch with several clubs over a possible return to the top-flight. The 32-year-old left Ghana in 2009 after helping Asante Kotoko clinch the league title in impressive style.
The former Ghana International parted company with Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi in January 2022 and immediately contacted by several clubs from Ghana and Africa, he has revealed.
Inkoom played for 11 clubs abroad including Swiss giants Basel and Ukraine’s FC Dnipro. The 32-year old has began their training regime at Hearts laid down for Sulley Muntari before the former Serie A midfielder finally passed the test for a year contract.
Inkoom will reportedly be assessed by Hearts technical team on several items but two most crucial ones are his physical fitness and endurance. Muntari impressed Hearts boss Samuel Boadu on his fitness during his trial period and has continued that in the Ghana Premier League.
Muntari won his first trophy for Hearts after helping in victory against Asante Kotoko in the Presidential Cup final at Accra Sports Stadium early this month. Muntari scored his first Hearts goal against WAFA after converting second half penalty. He failed to make the trip to defeat at Aduana Stars but could feature against Ash Gold this weekend.
While Muntari’s story at Hearts has been inspiring, Inkoom is expected to produced similar displays when he lands a Hearts contract. Reports from the first day training claim the defender is fit enough to play in the Ghana Premier League. With that said, Heart could offer the former GPL star a contract and would become the second former Black Stars member to join the Phobians in the 2021-2022 season.
Inkoom was part of the Ghana squad that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009 in Egypt before becoming a Black Stars regular.
He was included in Black Stars squads for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup in South Africa and Brazil respectively.
