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Kotoko to demystify Aduana’s home invincibility
By David Kyei
09:13, 20-02-2010
Sunday, 21st February
2010 is just two days away, yet the Ghanaian football league
scene is boiling with tension as the Glo Premier league enters
its 19th week.
Much as the situation on the
league log makes even a draw as dangerously important as a win
or a defeat, the closeness of the points make every match count
thereby making the 19th week about probably the
hottest week with interesting pairings that will in the long run
determine a major shake-up at the top and the bottom.
For the fixtures, New Edubiase
will play host to relegation threatened, Hearts welcomes Ashgold
to the Ohene Djan Stadium, Faisal lock horns with Berekum
Arsenal at the Baba Yara Stadium, Liberty travels to Kpando to
face Lions, Wa All Stars will be the guests of Chelsea whilst
RTU will see to square up with Kessben in Tamale.
All the above pairings look dicey
and cagey for the clubs, but the two matches that will attract a
lot of attention will be those between the two stuttering
Sekondi clubs, Hasaacas and XI Wise, and, the hotspot, Aduana FC
against Asante Kotoko at the Dormaa Park.
Though the Sekondi derby will
attract a lot of action as matches between the two sides has
always seen all there is to be seen in African football: bribery
allegations, player clashes on the pitch, supporter violence and
superstition.
However, the crowd puller and
indeed the one that promises to attract all the media attention
between now and the match, and of course the few days after, is
no doubt the Aduana-Kotoko match.
This match has the trappings of
grudge, pride and will one way or the other determine whether
Aduana will consolidate their hold at the top, or will falter
for their point build-up to be closed up by their pursuers.
The two sides come into the match
with pain on their bodies and angst on their hearts as they both
suffered respective defeats in their matches last weekend.
Kotoko were forced to a 0-2 defeat
in their CAF Champions’ league endeavour in far away Senegal,
whilst Aduana is licking her wounds from their last minute 0-1
defeat at the hands of Accra Great Olympics.
The stage therefore will be an
avenue for the two sides to tell their fans that all was not
lost and that a win on Sunday for either side will be a much
sought after commodity.
The trappings of the match being
borne out of a grudge will not only be for the reason that
Kotoko painfully deflated the egos of their Dormaa opponents in
the first round in Kumasi, but will also be an avenue for
once-upon-a-time coach of Kotoko, Hebert Addo, to rely on his
home advantage to get levels with the club that failed to renew
his mandate after their protracted negotiation hit a brick wall.
Another factor will be the
presence a huge constituency of players whom Herbert had
pencilled to be signed on by Kotoko, but later drafted them to
his new club when it became apparent that he had to move on.
Under normal circumstances,
results of matches between a freshly promoted side and Kotoko
could be forecasted way before the match, as the pedigree and
clout of Kotoko in all sincerity far outweighs that of such an
opponent.
However, the standings of the
league where Aduana sits atop with 32 points and Kotoko at 9th
position with 24 points and a game in hand appear to make it a
difficult endeavour to attempt a prediction.
Kotoko will have her pride and
clout to protect by going all out for a win, whilst Aduana will
attempt the protection of their home invincibility and the
consolidation of their position at the top.
Player for player, Kotoko
ensembles about the best of players for all playing positions in
the country who will have all to gain for a win, because they
will need to win on Sunday to add up to the possible win in the
outstanding match against Chelsea.
These two wins, all things being
equal, will shore up Kotoko’s point build-up to 30 points and a
giant step forward to either the third or the fourth positions.
Kotoko players are not seeing the
match lightly and for that matter have been holding series of
formal and informal meeting amongst themselves to strategize
effectively for victory.
On the other hand, Aduana commands
a blend of veterans and success hungry young players who will be
fully backed by their fans who reports indicate can be rowdy
sometimes.
It has been said in matches of
this nature that the field will decide, but it will be a wrong
assumption to discount the involvement of referees and their
assistants in matches of this nature.
Since visiting clubs to the Dormaa
have always come with stories of referee unfairness as recently
meted out to Sekondi XI Wise, it will not be out of place for
the PLB to send out a high powered delegation to watch the
match, as their presence alone can scuttle any attempt to cheat
any of the clubs by the referees.
A huge crowd is anticipated as
more fans will cross over from the Ghana – Cote d’Ivoire boarder
to catch a glimpse of the Fantabulous boys. As such, security
should be composed of not only the local police at Dormaa, who
would be afraid to take decisive actions against fans who decide
to take the law into their hands, but must be heavily beefed up
by security personnel from outside the region.
On the whole, it will be a tough
match which might not serve pleasurable football, but trust the
resurgence of the Wo Kum Apem a, Apem Beba spirit to triumph.
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