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Paa Kwasi
dissatisfied with card situation
By: Jerome Otchere
23:27GMT, 04--02-10
Despite recording an impressive 2-0
win over Kessben FC last Wednesday at the Baba Yara Sports
Stadium, Paa Kwasi Fabin went home dissatisfied not with the
performance of his players but by the seeming deliberate attempt
by referees to deplete the strength of his team with yellow and
red cards.
The coach told Kotoko Express in a
post match interview that he suspects a “calculated attempt to
deplete his squad with yellow and red cards”.
He consequently has pleaded with
referees to be fair to his players because they were not so
indiscipline to attract yellow and red cards anyhow.
Three of his defenders, Isaac Owusu,
Gideon Baah, Iddrisu Yahaya and an attacker, Francis Coffie were
booked in the match against Kessben FC. Isaac Owusu was later
sent off following a second offence thereby forcing Kotoko to
play at a numerical disadvantage for the last 13 minutes of the
game.
Coach Paa Kwasi Fabin fumed with
rage on the touchline as the cards were flashed at his players
for mostly going in with very harmless challenges. The Kotoko
coach’s major worry was that Referee Lord Vuvor who handled
Wednesday’s match was simply reluctant to show cards to players
of Kessben FC some of whom visited dangerous and completely
senseless tackles on Kotoko players.
“I think there is a calculated
attempt out there. The yellow cards were too much. What the
referee did was unacceptable. He was quick to show yellow cards
to my players but he constantly ignored Kessben players when he
had to punish them for similar offences”
He continued that the present
development was unhealthy and that something needed to be
immediately done halt the trend.
Though he concedes that receiving
yellow and red cards in the game of football is nothing strange,
he was also quick to add that there is a good reason to ask for
fairness when the rate at which referees flash cards at players
increases without justifiable basis.
He has also asked management to make
a case for the team over the matter.
Statistics published by the Premier
League Board (PLB) after the first round of the competition
showed that Kotoko players attracted 31 yellows and 4 red cards.
After just one game in the second round and 16 games in all, the
records now stand at 35 yellows and 5 red cards. |
