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Planning for next season begins
By: Jerome Otchere
Director of Communications Kwame Baah-Nuakoh has told Kotoko Express that management has initiated plans to ensure that Kumasi Asante Kotoko performs excellently on the local scene and particularly on the African continent next year.
Kwame said with Kotoko’s hopes of playing in the final of this year’s Confederation Cup suffering a severe jolt last Saturday, it was important to start thinking of the 2009 Champions League.
Kotoko by winning the 2007/2008 Onetouch Premier League qualifies to participate in the continent’s prestigious club competition. It will be the second time the club will be taking part in the revised Champions League after making a debut appearance two years back where the club made it to the league stage but failed to secure a semi final ticket.
According to Mr. Baah-Nuakoh, one of management’s major plans next year is to strengthen the playing body. He was however dead silent when asked whether or not there will be changes in the technical direction of the club as being demanded by most followers of the club.
Kwame stated that lessons would be drawn from this year Confederation Cup competition irrespective of the club’s position. He admitted that though the competition was not over, Kotoko’s chances of getting to the final in November has been made difficult as result of Saturday’s home draw against Etoile du Sahel.
Kotoko scored twice in the game that was characterised by poor officiating but the Tunisian side recovered well to cancel the lead anytime Kotoko went up.
Kwabena Yaro put the Porcupine Warriors ahead in the 8th minute when he connected home Eric Bekoe’s excellent free kick from about twenty metres. Seventeen minutes into second half, substitute Slim Jedaied’s equalised leaving no one in doubt that the much anticipated annihilation of Etoile would not happen.
For 75 minutes, the fans enjoyed beautiful display of football but the remaining 15 minutes saw Referee Codjia Coffie from Benin losing control of the game and allowing Etoile players and officials to misbehave after he awarded a penalty to Kotoko.
Minutes after Eric Bekoe neatly converted to bring Kotoko 2-1 the Beninese referee dubiously awarded a penalty to Etoile in the 86th minute and this was perfectly converted by Nafkha Mohammed to end the game 2-2.
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