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Management demands release of Eric Bekoe from Black Stars
By: Jerome Otchere
Posted 10th June 2008
The management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko is sending a request to the Ghana Football Association to demand the release of striker Eric Bekoe to the club.
Eric Bekoe, the leading goal scorer in the Onetouch Premier League and dependable defender, Harrison Afful, were released to the senior national team, the Black Stars about two weeks ago ahead of preparations for the 2010 Africa/World Cup qualifiers against Libya, Lesotho and Gabon.
Harrison Afful featured prominently in the Stars’ two matches against Libya and Lesotho in Kumasi and Bloemfontein respectively. However, Eric Bekoe came on as a substitute in the Black Stars home match against Libya.
He did not play in the Lesotho match. While management still holds that it was in order to release Eric Bekoe to the Black Stars, its present contention is that there is no point inviting the striker and keeping him on the bench.
“If his services are not needed immediately, our request to the Ghana Football Association is that they should release him to us” Director of Operations Jerry Asare demanded in an interview on Monday.
“We feel that if Eric Bekoe will be kept on the bench then we have every right to demand his release to the club because we need him” added Director of Communications Kwame Baah-Nuakoh in a separate interview.
Not many Kotoko supporters have been pleased with the absence of both Harrison Afful and Eric Bekoe. The supporters’ agitation for the release of the two players started when Kotoko hosted Kessben FC at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Prior to that game which ended 2-0 in favour of Kotoko, it was the expectation of the club’s supporters that the two players would be available for selection but that did not happen despite the fact that the Black Stars were camped in Kumasi.
It is also worthy of note that before the Kotoko-Kessben game, defender Harrison Afful had successively missed two matches – the Tema Youth-Kotoko at the Tema Park and the crunch Kotoko-Hearts duel at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Supporters’ arguments about how Kotoko has fared in the on-going league matches since the two players left have been intense.
These arguments are expected to reach fever pitch this week considering management’s latest request for the release of Eric Bekoe. The Kotoko striker who has 13 goals has already missed four matches since joining the national team.
He will miss another five should he remain in the Black Stars camp. The only matches Eric Bekoe would be able to play will be away to Wa All Stars, Zaytuna United at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium and Gamba All Blacks at Swedru.
Presently the fear of many Kotoko followers is that Eric Bekoe, who obviously is in contention for the goal king title this season, could eventually lose it to other contenders like Heart of Lions’ Osei Banahene who is gradually closing in on him.
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