Accra Hearts of Oak midfielder, Winful Cobbinah, says getting selected by Coach Kwasi Appiah into the national team is a great and rare opportunity and hopes to keep working hard to impress the handlers.
Since returning to the local scene last February after a three-year stint with Saudi Arabia’s Najran SC, Cobbinah has helped Hearts to make a good impression this season.
His sterling performances for Hearts caught the attention of Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah, earning him a call-up to the Black Stars B team. He later progressed to the 30-man Stars squad which trounced Ethiopia 5-0 in a recent 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Kumasi.
The 25-year-old midfielder will also be privileged to travel with the Stars for their double international friendlies against United State of America(USA) and Mexico on June 28 and July 1 respectively.
Speaking to the Graphic Sports after the team’s training session at the Accra Stadium last Wednesday, Cobbinah said: “there are a lot of players in the country, so for me to be selected into the squad is a great honour and a great opportunity that I cannot joke with”.
“It’s every player’s dream to feature for the national team so once you get it you must make good use of it. Now, I need to focus and train hard so that I can prove that I truly deserve to be there”, he said.
On his relationship with the senior players in camp, the former student of O’Reilly Senior High School said: The seniors are free with us. They even try to teach us a few things sometimes just to motivate us and I really like the morale in camp. I am motivated to work hard to improve on my performance”, he added.
Cobbinah, however, had a message for his Hearts team-mates as they prepare to face off with Elmina Sharks on Sunday.
“The league is gradually coming to a close so they must put all issues aside and keep fighting until victory is won.
“I won’t be there on Sunday but I am with them in prayers and I have hope that they will pick all three points from the Sharks so that we can progress towards our goal”, he concluded.