Former Black Stars defender Samuel Inkoom has revealed his involvement in recommending Mohamed Salah for his first professional opportunity in Europe with Swiss club FC Basel.
Salah, who currently plays for Premier League side Liverpool, had a successful spell with FC Basel from 2012 to 2014, making 47 appearances and scoring 9 goals before moving to Chelsea.
Inkoom shared that he relayed a message from his Sporting Director to Salah after witnessing his performances during training sessions with the Black Stars.
"I recommended Mo Salah to FC Basel," Inkoom, who now plays for Hearts of Oak, revealed in an interview with Accra-based Peace FM.
During a trip to Egypt for a game, Inkoom trained with the team that included Salah and former Ghanaian striker Eric Bekoe. Following their training sessions, FC Basel had a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Impressed by Salah's exceptional speed, Inkoom's Sporting Director requested him to speak to Salah on his behalf. Inkoom agreed, and that marked the beginning of Salah's desire to play in Europe.
"When the Black Stars traveled to Egypt for a game, I used to wear the Number 22 jersey, and that was the team in which Mo Salah played, alongside former Ghanaian striker Eric Bekoe, with whom we trained," Inkoom explained. "After my game for the Black Stars, FC Basel had a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. My Sporting Director, having noticed Mo Salah's speed during our training sessions, asked me if I could speak to him on his behalf, and I did. That's how it started! He told me he wanted to play in Europe."
Regarding his current contact with Salah, Inkoom mentioned that they haven't been in touch. However, he disclosed that he maintains communication with Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri, who was part of the Under-17 team during Inkoom's time at FC Basel. Shaqiri played alongside Salah at Liverpool from 2018 to 2021, and Inkoom occasionally asked Shaqiri to remind Salah of how he secured the opportunity to play in Europe.
"I used to speak to Shaqiri when he was with Liverpool and occasionally told him to remind Mohammed how he got to play in Europe," Inkoom added.
With 44 caps and 1 goal for the Black Stars, Inkoom played a significant role in Salah's early journey in European football.
