Kotoko Thrills Sudanese

11th July 2007

Correspondent:  David Kyei  Khartoum, Sudan

The absence of an efficient central defender in the present Kotoko set-up was exposed today when momentary loss of concentration by the make shift defence centred around Godfred Yeboah and William Thompson led to the club conceding to two goals in their friendly international against Sudanese side Al-Merrekh.

Parading an almost new squad, Kotoko kick-started the match but almost immediately lost control to the Sudanese side, who used their imposing physique to literally bully the comparatively smallish Ghanaians.

The determination of the Sudanese side to find early goals was almost rewarded in the very early stage of the match when a raid in the Kotoko half of the match led to a corner kick. Though the kick was expertly taken by their Brazilian import, Galay, but a poor connection to the ball led to a side netting much to the relief of the Kotoko team who found things tough in the early stages of the match.

Charged on by their German coach, Otto Pfister, the Merrekh attack stayed on Kotoko till their efforts were rewarded in the eighteenth minute.

Having succeeded in punching a hole at the left side of the Kotoko defence, the Sudanese team shifted all their attack through that area thereby making Godfred Yeboah to occasionally abandon his central defence role to support that department.

At the eighteenth minute mark, he could not recover in time in one of such moves so a lob into his area gave a free chance to on rushing Edahoor to put the ball beyond the reach of a helpless Mohamed Alhassan for their first goal.

Having been dazed by the goal, the defense again failed to clear their lines by playing to the whistle when the referee allowed the over six feet and stoutly built Alajab who was clearly in an offside position to nod in his side's second goal in the twenty sixth minute.

The second call indeed became the wake up call that Kotoko had been waiting for as they lifted their game by stringing some good passes together to the cheering of the a little over 90% full stadium.

Having been bullied enough in the midfield, Stephen Oduro and his colleagues seized the midfield and started drawing rings around their opponents. Their work were for most of the first half made useless since the Kotoko attack found it difficult beating the many offside that the assistant referee Aimen Hommed awarded Merrekh.

To check this menace, Coach Bashir Hayford pulled out Abu Alhassan and brought on Mark Adu Amofah. His inclusion made dividends since it gave Douglas Nkrumah and George Yamoah who were getting missing in action, options to chose where they attack from.

Luck eluded Kotoko once again when an Adu Amofah goal bound shot went straight to the goal post whilst the rebound was blown away by George Yamoah..

But for the timely intervention of Godfred Yeboah who pulled one of his trade mark clearances from danger, Kotoko would have laughed at the wrong side of their mouths on the struck of half time.

Coach Bash brought on Kwabena Dodzie for Joseph Ababio who found things difficult at the left side of the Kotoko defense.

The second half started with Kotoko on top and was therefore not a surprise that Amofah connected perfectly by winding y\up the goal keeper to pull one back for the team.

The match from this point on became a test of ball possession and stamina, and from the way fans mobbed the Kotoko bus to clap for them and the scanty English syllables "Kotoko very good, Kotoko very good" is anything to go by could be used as the fans satisfaction of the team here in Sudan.

Speaking to the press after the match, Coach Bashir Hayford described the match as a vintage performance by both sides and hoped that the second one will bring out the best in the two teams "because we now know how to strategize towards it"

"However, I will like to appeal to the referees to allow the fans to enjoy a good match by being fair"

"I say this because the referee decided not to allow us to score any more goals after we pulled one back"

On his part, Papa Otto Pfister was happy that Kotoko still had the pedigree that made them one of the best in Africa.

"The players are younger, they are the traditionally skilful players I have known Ghana for, and they were tactically good. I think that is what African football should be looking at"

"Kotoko has given us a good preparatory match for the confederations cup, and we are grateful for their coming"

Adding his voice to the public observations, Superintendent Buabeng expressed joy at the performance of the team and urged them to continue with the good work.

"When I saw the team and did not see the known faces, I was a bit skeptical about their abilities, what I have seen them gives me the assurance that if they blend with the team back home, they will be the side to beat"

The second match on the tour comes off today at the Merrekh Stadium which they call 'The Red Castle".

For the records, the oldest player on the pitch was the over six feet and muscular Alajab. The over forty years old player is the Sudanese footballer of the year 2006, the captain of Al Merrekh and also of the Sudanese national team.

Last Wednesday's match is the fourth to be played between the two sides in Sudan. And in all these, Kotoko scored a goal. They are 1962 (3-1 for Merrekh), 1970 (2-1 for Merrekh), 1972 (1-1) and 2007 (2-1 for Merrekh)

Kotoko

Mohamed Alhassan

Philip Owusu/ David Sarkodie

Joseph Ababio/ Kwabena Dodzie

John Asare

Godfred Yeboah (Captain)                                                                       

William Thompson

George Yamoah/ Abibulaye Reimi

Stephen Oduro

Abass Bundu

Abu Alhassan/ Mark Adu Amofah

Douglas Nkrumah