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Kotoko’s 25-man
contingent to conquer ASC Linguare
By David Kyei
13:00GMT,
09-02-2010
As you read this piece, a 25-man
contingent made up of 18 players, 3 members of technical team, 3
management members and a Kotoko Express reporter fervently
getting themselves ready to go through immigration processes to
fly to Senegal come tomorrow, Wednesday.
The occasion for the trip would be
to carry high the flag of Ghana at the 1/16th stage
of the 2010 CAF/Orange African Champions’ league, which kicks
off this weekend.
Per the breakdown of composition
of the team as presented by Paa Kwesi Fabin, Kotoko would be
represented by 2 goalkeepers, 6 defenders, 4 midfielders and 6
attackers.
The players: Isaac Amoako, Soulama
Abdoulaye, Michael Ofosu Appiah, Gideon Baah, Iddrisu Yahaya,
Ofosu Appiah, Daniel Nii Adjei, Edward Affum, Jordan Opoku,
Kabiru Moro, Baffour Gyan, Prince Anokye, Prince Boateng, Frank
Boateng, Louis Agyemang , Alex Asamoah and Samed Oppong would be
technically supervised Paa Kwesi Fabin himself and Awudu Nuhu,
whilst Omono Asamoah provides medical support.
Alhaji Abubakar Salifu Ejee, Sarfo
Gyamfi and Kwame Baah Nuako would represent management on the
trip.
In an interview, Paa Kwesi Fabin
has hinted that he was going to go into Saturday’s match against
ASC Linguare with an intention to cause an upset to the
Senegalese.
According to him, the match would
not be a business as usual one because there is more at stake in
terms of pride and clout for Kotoko.
“Relatively, ASC Linguare has
nothing to lose by losing to Kotoko, but we have more to gain
with a victory over them because we have our pedigree to
protect”.
“We go into Saturday’s match with
a huge image of being Africa's best club of the last century so
they surely would have stepped up their preparations towards
this match. We therefore will have to play a very tactical game
to contain them, and then move on to unleash our surprise
package for them”.
Though the coach did not expatiate
more on his going to play “a tactical game”, the number of
defenders and attackers he has on the trip if anything to go by,
means that he intends to attack much in the same way that he
would be defending.
To achieve that, he would need a
team of players who would be ready to do the running for the
duration of the match and this is exactly the question we asked
him.
“After the pruning down of my team
to my prescribed number, I have with the assistance of the other
coaches brought them up to a higher stamina level and mental
toughness”.
“We therefore are going to play
tough, defend hard and seek victory. What I and the team need
from the fans is their prayers to get us luck and travelling
mercies,” he concluded. |
