From Winneba in Ghana where he started with Windy Professionals to Torpedo Kutaisi in Georgia, the U-20 World Cup winner, Samuel Inkoom has journeyed far and near to make a living as a professional footballer.
The former Black Stars full-back has signed for a staggering 10 different clubs since 2013, when he joined Bastia on loan from Dnipro.
Inkoom completed a move to Accra Hearts of Oak in 2022, making the Phobians the 14th different club he has played for.
The 32-year-old joined Hearts of Oak last year as a free agent after leaving Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi in January 2022
Hearts of Oak became his 12th different home since he left Kumasi Asante Kotoko in 2009.
🏠A native of Takoradi
📏He is 1.79m (5ft, 10 inches)
👨👩👦Omega, Samuelina, Shawne and Samuel are all intimately related to him.
Ladies and Gentlemen 🗣
🥁Introducing,
The man has finally reunited with his True Family 🌈 pic.twitter.com/zdvw0BTTYh
— Phooobia! – #WeNeverSayDie 🏅🏆 (@HeartsOfOakGH) April 8, 2022
Twelve clubs had Inkoom on their books on permanent deals while two others have been loan moves.
Inkoom, a key member of Ghana’s U-20 World Cup-winning squad in 2009, has seen his career take several twists and turns since breaking out from Kotoko.
At right-back, Samuel Inkoom was a beast for the Black Satellites at the tournament. Defenders could not cope with his direct runs down the flank and forwards struggled to get past him.
The exploits of the then Asante Kotoko defender earned him a move to Swiss club Basel where he won the local double and became somewhat of a cult hero.
He then moved to Dnipro in Ukraine in 2011, and after loan stints with Bastia in France and Greek side, Platanias, signed for D.C. United in the MLS.
Over a two-year period, Inkoom also signed for Boavista, Antalyaspor and Vereya. Still, his career took a nosedive when he was handed a ban from all football-related activities by FIFA after a pay dispute with his agent.
Inkoom signed for Bulgarian side Dunav Ruse in 2019 before joining FC Samtredia.
After Samtredia, he moved on to the Georgian league to join Torpedo Kutaisi before descending to his motherland to play for Hearts of Oak despite rumours that he had agreed to join their arch-rivals, Asante Kotoko.
Inkoom enjoyed a long run as the Black Stars’ first-choice right-back, making 46 appearances. He was also part of the side that finished runners-up at the African Cup of Nations to Egypt in 2010.
A Timeline of Inkoom’s club career
(No data to verify) – Windy Professional.
2007-2008 – Sekondi Hasaacas
2008-2009 – Asante Kotoko – 26 appearances.
2009–2011 – Basel – 43 appearances.
2011–2014 – Dnipro – 27 appearances.
2013 – Bastia (loan) – 4 appearances.
2014 – Platanias (loan) – 15 appearances.
2014 – D.C. United – 2 appearances.
2015-2016 – Boavista – 8 appearances.
2016 – Antalyaspor – 15 appearances.
2017 – Vereya – 12 appearances.
2019 – Dunav Ruse – 18 appearances.
2020 – FC Samtredia – 14 appearances.
2021-2022 – Torpedo Kutaisi – 25 appearances.
2022- present – Accra Hearts of Oak – 28 appearances.