Pushing for a starting spot at sold-out Bankwest Stadium after recovering from a hamstring injury, Yeboah, 25, is taking a business as usual approach to his first taste of action against the Sky Blues following January’s return to the A-League from Germany.
Hostilities might run deep between the rivals, but Yeboah appears to be staying above the fray, more concerned about maintaining the Red and Black’s unbeaten start to the season.
“I’m expecting Sydney to go harder than they normally do because it’s a derby but we’re concentrating on our own game,” he said.
“We’re aware of the past results (including 10 losses and five draws) and obviously want to try and break that (sequence).
“For me, though, they’re just another team to be honest. I’m just going to concentrate on my own performance.
“That’s how I approach every match, as long as I do my thing I’m pretty confident going into each match I play.
“We’ve worked on what we needed to work in the pre-season and we’ve started to put things in place, as you can see in the first two games (successive victories to start the campaign). We’ve just got to build on that now.”
After five years on the books of Borussia Monchengladbach, Yeboah is more than comfortable as part of a German axis at the club headed up by coach Markus Babbel and including the playing triumvirate of Patrick Ziegler, Nicolai Muller and fellow striker Alexander Meier.
“This year we have a lot more depth in terms of players with experience, that’s for sure,” added Yeboah, who came off the bench late in the 2-1 win at Melbourne Victory for his first minutes of the season.
“The German influence here suits me after my time there, it’s nothing new to me and I know what’s required.
“The Bundesliga mentality is a bit different in terms of being hungry and what not but that’s not saying Australia isn’t.
“However players coming in with that experience behind them, and a coach with what he’s achieved, it’s a different level of course.
“Babbel is typically German in that he expects quality at 100 per cent, on and off the field.”
With eight goals in pre-season, including two in the FFA Cup, Yeboah is ready to fly after his hamstring hiccup. But he admits a first team spot isn’t guaranteed.
“It’s not a walk in the park to be in the starting team, everybody has to earn their place every week in training but that’s pretty standard,” he added.
“It depends on our formation where I fit in, I’m quite flexible in that way.
“Last season I was a 10 and a second striker. This season could be anything, I could be on the wing, upfront, on the left on the right or in the middle. I’m not too bothered so long as I’m playing.
“With we’ve worked on in the last three or four months, we have a good feeling.
“There’s a nice balance to the team and a lot of good characters in here.”
