Paderborn match was the most painful

1st August 2007

Correspondent: Jerome Otchere,  Hermann-Löns-Stadium, Paderborn

Among the six training matches Kotoko played during the tour in Germany, the one against SC Paderborn 07 at the Hermann-Löns-Stadium in Paderborn was the easiest yet the outcome of the match left Coach Bashir Hayford and his players as well as management members in pain. Watched by over 1,000 spectators Kotoko dominated play for well over eighty minutes. The Porcupine Warriors created very decent goal scoring opportunities only to falter in front of goal.

A powerful 84th minute free-kick taken by substitute Erwin Koen from about 25 metres beat Isaac Amoako and gave victory to the German second division side. Amoako told the Kotoko Express after the match that he underestimated the free-kick. “I asked the defenders to form a three-man wall. I thought it was okay. All their free-kicks had been ineffective but caused our down fall” he said.

Coach Bashir Hayford who altered his starting line-up for the match said: “It is painful to lose this way. When we have done all the work to achieve results we don’t expect things to happen this way”. For the first time during the tour, Seydou Dagano, Daniel Acquah, Daniel Bomfa and Nana Arhin-Duah started a match.

The quartet really made a difference in their respective positions. Dan Acquah played in the right side of defence. Richard Manu and Seydou Dagano were in the middle while Michael Ofosu Appiah played on the left. Daniel Nii Adjei and Samuel Inkoom dictated affairs in midfield with Francis Akwaffo and Prince Amponsah taking the flanks.

Nana Arhin-Duah and Daniel Bomfa brought fluidity into attack. They terrorised the Germans a great deal. There was hardly any defect in Kotoko’s game plan. Richard Manu was the pillar around which the entire defensive network functioned. Even when he was replaced with Adamu in the 44th minute due to injury the defence remained in one piece with Adamu Mohammed present.

Daniel Nii Adjei fired a defence-splitting shot in the 15th minute which grazed the upper side of the net. Paderborn’s attack returned heat on Kotoko momentarily. They succeeded in testing the agility of Isaac Amoako but the goalie proved superior. The best of Kotoko’s chances in the first half were squandered by Nana Arhin-Duah and Daniel Bomfa. Osei Kuffour and Kwabena Yaro replaced the duo in the second half.

Perhaps that substitution was needles because Yaro and Kuffour made no significant difference. Essentially, they came to pressurise the Germans yet missed the target – something Nana Arhin-Duah and Daniel Bomfa were doing. Paderborn reeled under great pressure as Kotoko was threw chances away. The Germans however made the difference six minutes from full time when Erwin Koen scored with a terrific shot from a free-kick spot.

Disappointment, bitterness and discontent were Kotoko’s portion as Paderborn officials, players and supporters celebrated at the end of proceedings. “This is too painful. This game was for us and I am so sad that we lost” Chairman Sylvester Asare-Owusu said when addressing a group of Ghanaians after the match. The gathering many of who were Kotoko fans however expressed satisfaction.

“We shouldn’t be too worried. The team played very well. SC Paderborn is a good side. They beat Bremen recently in a cup match. I was happy to see Kotoko playing this way because I understand the team traveled for fours from Bingen to this place” said Samuel Tawiah a Ghanaian living in Paderborn.