Coach Smith proud of players’ performance

By: Jerome Otchere

The playing body of Kumasi Asante Kotoko has been hailed for their remarkable performance in last Sunday Confederations Cup third round qualifying match against Al-Ittihad of Libya.

Two goals by striker Eric Bekoe and another from hard working midfielder Jordan Opoku enabled Kotoko to call the bluff of the Libyan champions who won the first leg encounter 2-1 in Tripoli.

Speaking in a post match interview, Assistant Coach Johnson Smith was full of praise for the players saying their attitude on the field of play was positive. “When Ittihad scored I instructed them to concentrate on the game. I told them not to lose hope but to fight on. They did just that” said the coach. “Of course everything could not have been right but they played to instruction and that was good and positive” he stated.

Commenting on his tactics for the game, Johnson Smith said he first told the players to be confident and take on their opponents without fear. “I also told them to avoid long balls. They listened to my instructions and I am happy things worked well although we conceded a goal through a header” he said. “That was painful but the point is I was proven right. I told them to be watchful because the Libyans were not going to score unless with a header”.

Coach Johnson Smith further revealed that defender Prince Anokye was not well yet he had no option than to force him to play. “All the players did well! I am happy none of them showed any sign of tiredness. That is the mark of good and dedicated players” he pointed out. “And for Prince Anokye, I must say he played brilliantly. His work rate was unbelievable because he was sick. He had malaria and therefore he was weak. That is why he was late in the action that resulted in Ittihad’s goal. All the same, Anokye played well” the coach explained.

On a day that saw Kotoko supporters turning up in their numbers to cheer the team on in splendid fashion, Coach Johnson Smith could not be quiet on the massive support the team received from their followers. He described the support given to the team as marvellous saying, “We owe the supporters a great deal. Their support contributed to our victory and we have to be thankful to them. We have to thank them for their unflinching support. We also have to thank God”.

Touching on the way forward for the club, now that Kotoko has qualified to the league stage, Johnson Smith predicted that the team would continue to conquer all opponents indicating that if the core of the team was maintained they could be crowned champions at the end of the competition.

Coach Smith observed that the team has young and intelligent players who would perform excellently with time. He admitted that there is more work to be done adding, “We played six matches before qualifying – three at home. Three away! In the next stage, we will play six matches too before the semi-final. I am sure these matches will be tougher” he ended.