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Sariki Adamu tops them all
Correspondent: David Kyei, Oseikrom
10th January 2008
The 2008 PLB/Onetouch premier league is only nine weeks old but some records have started falling whilst others are being equalled in Kotoko.
Though records of previous years are scanty to enable us do proper assessment and comparison of the trends, Kotoko Express can say that statistical data emerging from the matches so far played sends mixed signals that must be handled in such a way that the good ones be encouraged whilst the not so good ones discouraged.
With nine matches so far played in 810 minutes, the man who successfully ambushed and captured the captainship until the ninth match, Adamu Mohamed, leads the pack of players as the only player to have featured in all the matches so far played in the league.
There is a whooping 50 minutes difference between Adamu Mohamed and the closest contender in terms of playing minutes, Eric Bekoe, who has played 760 minutes, whilst Soulama Abdoulaye comes in third with 745 minutes.
Whilst the goals scoring ability of the team is improving with an average goals of two per match (18 goals from 9 matches), the performance of Eric Bekoe in securing a hat trick in the fifth week match against Great Olympics also gives so much hope that Kotoko was on the way of reclaiming their enviable title of the top scoring club which has eluded the team for some time now.
Eric Bekoe is also in contention for the goal king title which has eluded Kotoko players for many seasons. What is left for him to achieve that will be for his colleagues to recognise that he is aspiring for that for the club and not for his personal aggrandisement. They therefore have supply his with the right passes to enable him score to achieve that feat. After all, the whole team benefits from winning bonuses.
However, the rate at which Kotoko players have been getting themselves into referees’ caution books tends to be worrying. As at the ninth week, Kotoko had attracted sixteen yellows and two reds.
Though one could say that some of the cards as issued by the referees are nothing but to frustrate Kotoko players, one will not be far from right in describing the two red cards shown at Osei Kwame Jnr and Harrison Afful as avoidable.
This therefore means that the players involved must be sanctioned, either through a pinching fine or any other form of punishment that will be reformatory enough (after all, they were cautioned at their meeting with management about such unnecessary attraction of cards).
Interestingly, of the thirty registered players only four are yet to kick a league action. These players are Eric Nii Baah, Seidu Daganu, David Sarkodie and Obissessah Abioudum.
Of the four, Nii Baah and Daganu have made it into the final team though they did not get the chance to go into action as substitutes.
The chart of total minutes of playing time as done by the players is as follows:
Player Minutes done
Adamu Mohamed 810
Eric Bekoe 760
Soulama Abdoulaye 745
Jordan Opoku 690
Harrison Afful 645
Daniel Nii Adjei 600
Samuel Inkoom 540
Daniel Acquah 485
Francis Akwaffo 472
Kwadwo Poku 361
George Asare 360
Richard Manu 360
Kwabina Yaro 334
Osei Kwame Jnr. 269
Prince Anokye 235
Prince Amponsah 205
Emmanuel Osei Kuffour 155
Ofosu Amoah 140
Francis Coffie 135
Stephen Oduro 110
Godfred Yeboah 90
Kwabina Dodzi 90
Baba Armando 70
Nana Arhin-Duah 68
Isaac Amoako 65
Eric Opoku 40
Eric Nii Baah -
David Sarkodie -
Seidu Daganu -
Obissessah Abioudum -
George Cudjoe -
Mohamed Habib -
Cautions
Yellow Red
Harrison Afful 1 1
Osei Kwame Jnr 1
Jordan Opoku 3
Daniel Nii Adjei 3
Adamu Mohamed 2
Soulama Abdoulaye 1
Francis Akwaffo 1
Eric Bekoe 1
Emmanuel Osei Kuffour 1
Kwadwo Poku 1
Prince Anokye 1
Kwabena Dodzi 1
Goals
Eric Bekoe 8
Francis Akwaffo 3
Daniel Nii Adjei 2
Harrison Afful 1
Jordan Opoku 1
Kwadwo Poku 1
Prince Anokye 1
Samuel Inkoom 1
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