Every player dreams of wearing the national team shirt and with some six months to the 2008 African Cup of Nations, the competition for positions would be keener. Expectedly, the coming season across the various continents will definitely be the litmus test for players who hope to play in Africa’s biggest sporting event which would be hosted by Ghana as their national coaches keep a close eye on their performances with their club sides. Aside any injuries which might wreck the hopes of all prospective players, making it into the final 22 of the teams would be a big task. And for players who for injuries, lack of playing minutes at club level and their inconsistencies have fallen out of radar, regaining a call appears difficult but starts now as the new season rolls out. Ghana striker, Matthew Amoah is of such players who has seen injury wreck his chances of gaining a place in the Black Stars squad since last years World Cup in Germany. Injury limited Amoah’s playing time during his days with German Borrusia Dortmund, last season and also fell out of the pecking order for Ghana. However, with a switch to NEC Breda in the Dutch Eredivisie, the league that shot him into prominence, the attacker, guaranteed of a starting place sees his days with the national team, the Black Stars is too distant to be over. The attacker hopes to work hard and fight for a place in Claude Le Roy’s team. ’’I was injured and I lost my position in the team but we must know that Black Stars is not for me alone’’ Amoah stated this in an interview with the Ghana Football Association’s official mouthpiece, GFA News. At 26, Amoah continues to bide his time and is remaining focused as he tries to reunite with his colleagues in the national team. ’’There is luck in football and maybe my time has come; it will be the turn of another colleague to shine in the Black Stars but I still have to work hard, be positive, mentally strong and stay focused to get another chance in the team’’ ’’A player will always like to play for his national team and one will always miss his colleagues in the team, but I know my time for the Black Stars is not over and I will keep praying to God that the opportunity will come again even though I know a lot will depend on me to fight for a place in my club and be active to catch the eyes of the handlers of the team again’ the player said. ’’A lot of people want to see me feature for the Black Stars but it will take a lot of hard work, so my fans should still support me and if I get another call-up I will not disappoint them. I also assure all Ghanaians that I will definitely bounce back’’ Looking ahead to the 2008 African Cup of Nations, which Ghana plays host to the rest of the continent, Matthew Amoah says it will be a perfect opportunity for every player who will get the chance to don the national colors and he is willing to be part of the competition. But the attacker is quick to add that players who aspire to be part of the team for CAN 2008 would have to work hard so that the coaches will give any of them the chance to play in front of the home crowd. Amoah who had an uneventful spell in the German Bundesliga admits that though he was happy to have signed for Borussia Dortmund, the season turned out to be a nightmare when he sustained injuries before and after the World Cup but he did not give up the fight. ’’When a player starts getting injuries like it happened to me, you only have to be mentally strong and take it in good strive that injury is part of the game. You have to take it as a minor upset in your career, stay focused, be positive and play your game,’’ Amoah stated. And ahead of the new Dutch season, Matthew Amoah says he is keenly awaiting the start of the league though reserving tones of prayers to God to spare him any injuries. It will be a little bit difficult for me to get a first team position after my injury but with God all things are possible. The rest will depend on me to work hard to justify the hope they had in me. Looking back at the German Bundesliga, Matthew Amoah says it is a little bit tougher because they placed premium on physical strength that goes with tall and big players as he compares with the Dutch league. Holland focuses on quality football and skills but in Germany you have to get the strength. When I got to Dortmund, luck was not on my side. I got injured on the first day at training. If I had gotten a good start with a little of the luck I got in Holland, I would have made it in Germany that season. Now back to the very place where he got all right, Matthew Amoah hopes to use the Eredivisie to secure a place in the Ghana squad. Source: ghanafa.org