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Kotoko to vent spleen on Sportive
Preview By: Jerome Otchere
Posted: 19th June 2008
Players of Kumasi Asante Kotoko are poised to make amends in Saturday’s Onetouch Premier League match day twenty-seven fixture against Real Sportive of Tema at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Kotoko lost 2-0 to Accra Great Olympics on Wednesday in a match that saw the Porcupine Warriors playing as if there was nothing at stake.
Management members and supporters were utterly disenchanted with the team’s work rate so much that the supporters taunted the players to show their disapproval of the unexciting performance churned-out at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium.
Management in a meeting with the playing body arrived at some strong decisions including the freezing and slashing of winning bonuses until the end of the season. That according to Chairman Sylvester Asare-Owusu was part of moves to instil seriousness into the team.
As the Porcupine Warriors face another Greater Accra club which is battling against the tide of relegation, there will be no room for laxities because any evidence of lackadaisical attitude towards tomorrow’s match particularly on the part of the players will not be good news.
The 2-2 draw against Sekondi Hasaacas and Wednesday’s embarrassing loss to Olympics strengthened the erroneous impression that Kotoko was playing it ‘soft’ to help some relegation clubs.
The allegations are false, but against the trend of events witnessed in the Kotoko-Hasmal and Kotoko-Olympics matches, only a convincing performance can erode the wrong impression held by the supporters.
In the first round, Kotoko thrashed the Tema based club 3-0 at the El-Wak Sports Stadium. It was not as if Real Sportive underperformed. They simply could not stand the heat in the kitchen.
They therefore had to bow out gracefully. Now at the time that Sportive are faced with the possibility of crashing out of the competition or worse still being relegated to the wilderness of Ghana football – that is the Division One League, their approach to Saturday’s game will be different.
Real Sportive will have the nerves to face Kotoko but as to whether they will return home victorious or with a point remains the unanswered question. Kotoko must be careful because Sportive could draw inspiration from their 1-0 victory at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium two seasons ago to cause another upset.
Events in football have often defied logic and it continues to be so. If bottom placed Great Olympics could stun league leaders, Kotoko, then nothing should be taken for granted.
Real Sportive are fourth from the bottom with 30 points whilst Kotoko are still on top with 57 points. Heart of Lions who are second with 47 points are therefore ten points away from Kotoko.
Consequently, there are no good reasons for the fabulous boys to be complacent.
After the harrowing experience in the hands of the Wonder Club, Chairman Sylvester Asare-Owusu remarked in a meeting with the players that if they had beaten Real Tamale United, Sekondi Hasaacas and Olympics, Kotoko would have by now been declared league champions.
Coach Johnson Smith is likely to make some changes to his starting line-up that lost to Oly last Wednesday. However, Isaac Amoako could make way for Eric Nii Baah.
Should Richard Manu be fully fit, he could be fielded in central defence while George Asare is given a rest. Young Mark Sekyere will be in for his fifth successive game. The nineteen year-old, former Feyenoord player has been impressive since his first outing against King Faisal. There should be no turning back for him.
In midfield Daniel Nii Adjei, Jordan Opoku, Francis Coffie and Emmanuel Osei Kuffour ought to stay in control over their opponents. They must exhibit dexterity and supremacy in support of the attackers who in turn must utilise their chances. Ahead of tomorrow’s match, management will meet the playing body at its camping base for a no-holds-barred meeting.
The encounter with the players is expected to redefine their focus apart from spurring the team on for the remaining matches. Skipper Emmanuel Osei Kuffour as published apologized profusely to management and supporters for the loss on Wednesday.
The captain on behalf of his teammates might have rendered an apology. However, that apology will go down well with management and the fans if the team shows convincing performances backed by victories in the remaining matches starting from Saturday.
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