Kamate and Cocchi, a special night: "It's great to win and to help this team"
Team
— 4 hours agoBoth started and played a key role in the match: it was Kamate's full debut, and he provided the assist for Bonny's goal
It was a night painted black and blue, with a strong French flavour too: two French goals, both set up by French assists. First came Issiaka Kamate – making his full debut in the Inter jersey – who provided the cross for Bonny’s headed opener, then Thuram supplied the assist for Diouf’s goal to make it 2–0.
Starting at the stadium where they regularly shine with the Under-23s, Issiaka Kamate and Matteo Cocchi both made a significant contribution to Inter’s 2–1 Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Torino. For Kamate, born in 2004, it marked his competitive debut for the first team after a handful of friendly appearances. Cocchi, meanwhile, made his third senior appearance: following his Champions League debut last season, this was his second outing of the campaign with the first team in the Coppa Italia.
“We did really well to win, because we were up against a strong opponent. We gave everything and put in a great performance. The move before the goal? The coach told me to take on my man when I could, and I didn’t think twice – I usually go on my left, but this time I went on my right and it worked out. I feel the coach’s trust; I’ve known him a long time and he’s given me lots of advice. My goal is to play for Inter regularly, and I work towards that every day. Everyone inspires me, they’re all top players and I try to learn from everyone: I really like Lautaro, Thuram and Bonny. I’m happy Bonny scored from my assist – he did really well.”
Issiaka Kamate
“I’m really pleased with the win: it was important to get through to the semi-finals, and the coach cared a lot about it too. This is a very close-knit team, where everyone pushes for their teammates and for the group. Here everyone gives their all, and that’s the message we receive in every match and every training session. This was my third appearance, but my first start, and that makes a big difference. I felt good: I tried to give my all and help the team. I’ve been training with this group for a while now and I’m working to keep improving. You never really get used to playing at this level, but being with them over time is helping me grow.”
Matteo Cocchi