A charge to keep, an image to redeem

Playing in the African continental matches these days has become something else other than the enjoyment of the game of football.

It is therefore no wonder that some club officials go to all extends to make sure that their team wins, and the method used in achieving that is not the conventional fair play but the use of any available means necessary.

This is the more reason why it has become a ‘fashionable’ thing to see teams travel to other countries with their food, water and even sometime their cooks to ensure that they do not fall prey to the trickery and mischief of their hosts.

Is has therefore become an issue of suspicion when one travels out to play a match and their hosts decided to be nice to them.  Every good deed that the host gives out becomes an issue suspicion and the looking at them with more that the usual two eye observation.

In times past, the issue of doing all things possible to win matches was restricted to off the pitch incidences that included intimidation at training sessions and the extreme cases of food poisoning.

However, events in the past tells all that the issue has gotten beyond that and is beginning to involve others who are to be the enforcers of the laws of the game, the referees.

This is the exact situation that Kotoko had to contend with and will have to contend with in the coming weeks as they prepare for the second leg match against Dolphins F/C.

Will Kotoko be lucky to have a referee who will at least be fair and firm in his decisions of the match?

Will there be enough motivation for the players to go out there with the realization that ‘killing them selves’ for Kotoko on the match day will pay off for them?

These are some of the questions Kotoko Express discussed with the man on whose head lay the arduous task and responsibility to ensure that Kotoko pulls the chest nut out of the blazing fire to make it to the 1/8^th stage of the confederations cup, Bashir Kwaku Hayford.

“We have no options in this match. We are not looking for a draw; neither are we looking for a slim win. We have to go all out and win big in the second leg to make it to the next stage”.

“Though cancelling a two goals deficit is a tall order, I am sure Kotoko is well placed enough to achieve that feat. We do not have to rest on our oars and expect that the tide of the huge name of Kotoko can push us true”

“It is an all-hands-on-deck job that lies ahead of us, and between now the period of the match, management, technical team, playing body and supporters will have to do more that a 100% of whatever we do to achieve success”.

Doing more than a 100% percent to win matches is something that is not new to Kotoko and her supporters, but does the team have the materials to achieve that feat?

Per the records, Kotoko will be missing the services of three of the starters in the team due to their receipt of two yellow cards.

In that line, Captain Emanuel Osei Kuffour, Dan Acquah and Osei Kwame jnr will have to unfortunately watch the second leg match from the stands.

With the failure of the GFA to register additional players that Kotoko submitted for CAF, the more fearful and worrying issue is how the technical team would be able to raise a team strong enough with a solid back to push the team forward to the heights targeted.

Until his injury, George Asare was doing so well that the medical team of Kotoko has no option but to do all they could to ensure that he plays, else Kotoko might have to pull one of the midfielders into the defence to assist Prince Anokye.  But have we noticed that our midfielders are deficient in height? How would Coach Bash and his crew stand and surmount this task?

“Coaches are trained to face situations such as has arisen and so I am sure that we would have things sorted out by the time we go into the second leg match on Kumasi”.

“However, we are going to work on George Asare to be fully fit for that match because we cannot go into the second leg without a good buck up plan,” he said.

But what really went wrong in the first leg match that Kotoko could not at least live up to their status quo as an ‘away draw masters’?

“we started the game well and was doing fine until the referee decided to steal the game from us. I am one person who does not normally talk about performance of referees in matches, but I will say that the frustration from the Malian referee Osmane Karembe was too much for my players, some of whom were experiencing continental football for the first time”

“Tactically, we wanted to use the first twenty minutes to study their play and so after that, one will realize that Kotoko was so much into the picture until the 40^th minute when realizing that it was going to be difficult for them, the referee stole a go in their favour”.

With lessons from the first leg, Bash says he has all he wants to see about his opponent to be able to map up a good strategy for them.

“I can assure all that the second leg match will be a different ball game for the Nigerian opponents. I just pray that we get fair minded officials who will give us a good match so that the better side duly wins, which I am sure will be Kotoko”.

“One thing I can assure all is that, we stand a better chance to win by more goals in the second round. This we can do, but will need the input of all our supporters who I will entreat to start preparing and come to the stadium in their numbers”

“In the history of the club, Kotoko has been through several battles on the field of play and this is a particular one that we all have to get involved”.

Playing against Nigerian clubs have not been easy for Ghanaians for the reason that matches between clubs from these two countries end up taking on a national dimension. It therefore behoves on all to ensure that we protect the pride of our nation Ghana by keeping the charge of beating Dolphins to qualify to the next stage of the competition.

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