Sol's tough return

Bamba comments after his first match for Jim McIntyre

Sol Bamba was glad to be back in action for the first time since Stephen Kenny had left East End Park.  Forced in due to Scott Thomson going down with a virus, he was disappointed that his return after ten weeks out had to be in a defeat at the hands of Hamilton Accies:-

"I am happy to be back but disappointing for the result. I don't like to speak about the referee decision today but I think he made some terrible decision. Sometimes these go for us and sometimes against. Today it was against, so maybe next time it will be ok.

"I think every player says it was never a penalty but I don't like to talk about it but it has changed the game completely because one nil down after five or ten minutes we had a chance to come back.

"At 3-0 down after the first half, we know it is never easy to come back but we played better in the second half but we don't create much chance in the second half.  It was a big, big disappointment."

Sol's return was all the more difficult since he was up against the First Division's top goalscorer, Richard Offiong. He conceded:-

"He is a good player but when I started the game I did not think about that.It was just like another game but it was disappointing for the result.

Having come through a reserve match on Tuesday and the 90 minutes against Hamilton the Ivory Coast player described how he felt.

"I feel better, but needed maybe one or two games more before I came into the first team. I feel ok today, I think nothing about my ankle. The Manager said forget about this game and focus on another game at East End Park next week."

Sol has been watching the African Cup of Nations with great interest and was sorry to see his country go out to the eventual winners, Egypt in the semi final. He has been speaking to Seville player Arouna Kone who has been playing for the Ivory Coast in Ghana:-

"He has told me it has been a big disappointment because our country thought that we could win the African Nations Cup but maybe in 2010 we can try and win again."

For the Paris born Dunfermline player his hopes are to represent his country at the Bejing Olympics later this year.

"At this moment I am just focusing on Dunfermline Athletic and when the season finishes I can focus on the Olympics in China."

Sol will be joining his Olympic squad for a warm up match in March away to Senegal.