Sol Bamba Post Hibs

Bamba thanks Pars but Dinger and Drogba stand between Sol and selection.

Souleymane Bamba made his 18th start for the Pars when he played against Hibs on Saturday and given that Scott Wilson is available for selection next Sunday at Hampden having served his two match ban, Manager Stephen Kenny now faces a rare problem. Injuries and suspensions have dictated team selection throughout this season but now the Manager has some difficult decisions to make.

The Ivory Coast 'B' internationalist reflected on whether his performance against Hibs had been enough to keep his place for the Semi Final:-

"I felt I played well but what was more important was the result. We won 1-0 and that was very important but the more important thing is the team. I tried to play very well but it was not my performance that mattered, it was getting the three points. I don't know, I do my job and after that the manager decides. I hope I play because it's a Semi Final and it's at Hampden. I want to play."

Bamba could understand the return of Scott Wilson:-

"It's good for the team because he's a good player but I do my job and the Manager decides but I hope I play. I'll work hard this week and wait and see. I have never played in a semi or final before, that's why I hope to play next week."

His comments also understate how important a goal for Dunfermline would mean to the 22 year old. He came close when his header at a second half corner teed up Jim McIntyre for a shot at goal and then slightly later he found the ball at his feet on the edge of the six yard box but failed to hit the net. Chuckling while demonstrating a vastly improved command of English the big man was in no doubt:-

"I want to score because I've never scored. I try every time to score. In training I score, but in the games I don't, I don't know why but I will try again. I want to score for my team because every time the players say, ' Oh, Sol you never score, you never score', so I really want to score and I will try again next time."

Goals will be important in the remaining five games that Dunfermline have to play in this SPL season and he is not ready to concede the task is unachievable:-

"It's possible we can get out of this situation. If everybody keeps working and believing it is possible. The Manager was speaking this week saying we need to win two games, maybe one loss and one draw, but we won today and I hope we can next week again and the week after that against Motherwell."

Did Sol feel that his side could now feel that they might hold an advantage over the Easter Road club next week?

"I don't know because every game is different, maybe a small advantage. Hibs are a good team and they weren't happy to lose today so that's why maybe next week they will want to win the game. If we play the same as we did today then we have a good chance. The Cup is different from an SPL game but we are very confident and everybody wants to go to the Final."

Playing with regularity in the SPL has helped Sol progress on the international scene and although now captain of the hopefuls - 'Espoirs' - he acknowledges that he has stiff opposition if he wants to lead out the first team:-

"I played for Ivory Coast when I played for PSG but only for the young team. Now I play one time for the first team and I say ' thank you' to Dunfermline because it's helped me get picked for my national team. I'm captain of the young team, the second team but Didier Drogba is captain of the first team."