The ‘Bekoemania’ knows no stopping

David Kyei, Kumasi

Two brilliant and well-sought after goals from Eric Bekoe plus an addition from Jordan Opoku was all that Kotoko needed last Saturday to keep their hopes of making a bigger impact in confederations cup alive.

For the greater part of the match, Kotoko supporters mourned and moaned about the opportunities that the team was throwing away until the 38^th minute when the goal predator and hunter, Eric Bekoe, chipped the ball round the JSK goalkeeper to record the afternoon’s first goal.

With the tone set for more goals, another from Jordan and one more from Bekoe set the stadium agog with jubilation until a last minute pulling of one goal by JSK strangely and disappointingly shut the hitherto vociferous fans up.

The action of the fans though might have been a spontaneous reaction to their disappointment at the goal and the manner it occurred, Bekoe says it sent a message to the players, as he told Kotoko Express in a post-match interview.

“Much as it was not our intention to concede a goal, I think the reaction of the fans was not the best for us. They almost forgot that we had scored three goals. Besides, they forgot that JSK also came into this competition on merit and for that matter, they would work for a chance to score in the match”.

“The reaction of the fans, one way or the other could have affected the general performance of the team if the match had travelled beyond the stipulated time limit”.

“I therefore appeal to fans of Kotoko to have confidence in us as a team and also know that we will not intentionally do anything that will bring pain to them. We need their support in anything we do as a team,” he said.

Though he admits that the team played well and also displayed resilience and a determination to pick the home win, he was not particularly happy with his general contribution in the match.

“On the whole, I can say I did not play the way I had wanted. Despite the goals I scored, I was hopping to create more chances for my colleagues in the team to score. It was unfortunate that I was unable to do what I had planned to do”

“However, I give thanks to God for all he does in my life. I may have wanted to play very well to a standard, but I must say that he knows what is best for me and I am grateful for that”.

On the preparation that they went into the match with, Bekoe says the playing body was determined to record a massive win and so all their focus and attention was directed at what they could do to achieve their target.

“I am not in anyway surprised at the score line because we really worked for it. I can say that we could have even done more than we did”.

Having scored nine whooping goals in the confederations cup with some five goals separating him and his nearest opponent, one would have expected him to be on top of the world with joy, but Bekoe says his joy is being curtailed by his inability to score goals in away matches.

“Much as I am not happy with my not to have scored a single goal away, I would say that I look forward to the day God in his mercies will help me to break the away goal draught”.

“I am not in any rush on God because what he has been doing in my life is good for me. Just as I trusted him to help me carry my pre-season scoring form into the league and he granted, I am counting on him to help me carry my goals into away matches and I am sure that a different script will be written in the match against JSK come this weekend,” he assured.

With three matches more to go in the group stages of the competition, Bekoe says he hopes to increase his goal haul to at least twelve goals and this he says he is planning for.

“It is going to be a difficult endeavour for me, but I have also made up my mind to get my goals and with God being my helper, I know that it will be done”.

He thanked his fans for their continual support and urged them not to lose hope in the team because they still have their plans of making it to the final of the competition on course and that it will take the joint effort of all stake holders to bring that into fruition.

“The team is pursuing an agenda that we all have to individually make a contribution to the collective. We the players will play our hearts out and so it behoves on the fans to support us through thick and thing and the end result will be well for us all”.