Jomo Cosmos defender Ousmane Berthe has been scouted by German club Hoffenheim
Cosmos' Berthe scouted by Hoffenheim
Posted: 2012-02-15 08:33
German club Hoffenheim are keen on taking Ousmane Berthe to the Bundesliga next season, after being impressed by the height and strength of the Jomo Cosmos defender at the Nations Cup.
The Malian is one of four targets that the club have decided on, after spending the entire tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon scouting for new talent.
Hoffenheim have already snatched talent from the PSL, taking Knowledge Musona from Kaizer Chiefs at the start of the season.
Last season’s top scorer is expected to get a break into the Hoffenheim starting line-up in coming games, after the club recently changed coaches.
Next season Hoffenheim are expecting both of their centre-backs to depart, and have been scouting for replacements. One of them is Isaac Vorsah of Ghana, who is going to a club in England.
Berthe is being targeted as a possible replacement along with Stoppila Sunzu of Zambia, one of the heroes of their surprise Nations Cup triumph. Sunzu was also named in the best XI of the tournament that ended on Sunday.
Berthe has been itching for a chance to play overseas and at the end of the last season went on trial to AJ Auxerre in France but did not make it. He rejoined Cosmos after the start of the season.
At the Nations Cup, Berthe played in four of Mali’s matches, missing the first and the last. He was caught out by the Ivory Coast winger Gervinho in the semi-final and beaten by a clever trick as the Ivorian scored the only goal of the game.
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