Kotoko dazzle Libyans

..But fall victim to naked robbery

Report: Jerry Afriyie, Stadium, Tripoli.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko famously known as the Soccer University of Ghana really wanted to test Libyan side Al-Ittihad about their knowledge in the game of soccer when the two teams clashed in the 1/16 stage, first leg Confederations Cup match in Tripoli last Friday but half way through the test, Kenyan Referee Alfred Ndanya assisted on lines by countrymen Evans Mwacha and Mazna Aden Range decided to intervene to save the Libyans from the embarrassment of failing miserably in front of their very expectant home supporters.

The Kenyan match officials, who returned late from the dressing room after the interval, came into the second period with an agenda to propel Ittihad to emerge victorious, because on the evidence of the first half performance, the Libyans lacked the capacity to triumph over the very well drilled Porcupines.

In five minutes, the referee had handed Ittihad a very huge advantage by showing skipper Osei-Kuffour an undeserved straight red card and awarded a soft penalty to the home team a minute afterwards, after the referee adjudged a Kotoko defender to have handled the ball in the eighteen yard box.

The resultant spot kick cancelled ‘man of the match’, Kwabena Yaro’s opener for Kotoko in the 12^th minute and handed the initiative to the North Africans who from then on, capitalised on their numerical advantage to seize control of the midfield, but it was not until the dying embers of the game that they managed to clinch victory courtesy a header by Younes Shabani.

On the night that Kwabena Yaro was a one man symphony orchestra often dribbling the entire defense and sometimes midfield of Ittihad with Osei Kuffour giving meaning to why he is called the “General” whiles Godfred Yeboah proved a tower of strength at the Kotoko rear guard, the first half was pure Champaign football from the Fabulous lads whose movements, inventions, rhythm and creativity exposed Ittihad as an ordinary side who cannot square-up to Kotoko without the help of match officials.

Even after Harrison Afful’s ‘galat’  (mistake in Arabic) in the 1^st minute which gifted the home side that was led in attack by Mohammed Zubye and Salem Rewani an opportunity which they failed to utilize, Kotoko did not panic and replied immediately but Eric Bekoe’s half volley sailed over the bar to set the tone for an uncompromising encounter.

Kwabena Yaro however broke the deadlock  in the 12^th minute when he finished off a Jordan Opoku – Osei Kuffour move in what was a ‘hadaf jamil’ (beautiful goal) to shoot Kotoko ahead. The home side tried to hit back but it was Kotoko who should have increased the tally in the 20^th but Bekoe at the end of an Inkoom-Kuffour move could not beat goalie Samir Abbud in goal for Ittihad. 

The North Africans coached by former player Omar Marymk made a desperate attempt to cancel the deficit before half time by replacing Mohammed Coubageat who is the younger brother of Kader Coubageat of the Hawks of Togo with Panpier Koulibaly, a Burkina Faso national. However, Kotoko slowed down the game and went into the interval with the 1-0 score line.

However that was not until the referee had showed a glimpse of what he intended going in the second half by showing Kwabena Yaro 34^th , Harrison Afful 38^th  and Samuel Inkoom 45^th the yellow cards for minor or sometimes no offence committed.

The second half was full of drama as the referee decided to take centre stage in the first five minutes of the half but it was not surprising because after the match officials returned late from their dressing room in the company of Ittihad officials, many Kotoko supporters and Ghanaian journalists begun to smell something fishy which unfolded in the five minutes of madness after the restart of the game.   

The second half belonged to Ittihad but Kotoko with a man down Kotoko made sure they did not surrender too much to their hosts and even tried to salvage something as Coach Johnson Smith threw in Stephen Oduro for Jordan Opoku late in the game but the exchanges were too physical for the diminutive game man who saw little of the action.

Before Ittihad scored the winner which was ‘hadaf mumtas’ (good goal), Goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye who was very witty on the night and also pulled some spectacular saves, had to give way for his deputy Eric Nii Baah after he sustained an injury and could not continue the game despite several attempts to patch him up.

Kotoko

Soulama Abdoulaye/Nii Baah, Samuel Inkoom, Harrison Afful, Godfred Yeboah, Prince Anokye, George Asare, Jordan Opoku/Stephen Oduro, Nii Adjei, Kwabena Yaro, Eric Bekoe, Osei-Kuffour