Concerns have been raised over the
performance of the goalkeepers of Kumasi Asante Kotoko
especially in the recent friendly matches played by the team.
With very reliable goalkeeper, Isaac Amoako
leaving for Sudan with the home based Black Stars for the CHAN
tournament, which Ghana embarrassingly crashed out after the
group stage; the goalkeeping mantle at Kotoko fell squarely on
the shoulders of Soulama Abdoulaye and George Arthur.
The verdict from a number of supporters
interviewed indicates that the two of the three reserve
goalkeepers – Soulama Abdoulaye and George Arthur have not fared
well and to the fans, the earlier something is done about the
situation, the better it would be for the club.
“Apart from Isaac Amoako, we do not seem to
have any dependable goalkeeper,” argued Prince Kusi Asamoah, who
described himself as a die-in-the-wool Kotoko supporter resident
at Suame in Kumasi.
“They have to be confident and convincing.
The performance George Arthur put up against Africa Sports was
not too good,” said Samuel Nsiah, another Kotoko sympathiser
based at Asokwa, also a Kumasi suburb.
“I think we should not have put Eric Nii
Baah on transfer. Nii Baah has a lot of experience. We should
have kept him,” added Nana Kwabena Fosu, from Oforikrom.
“Management and the technical team ought to
consider recruiting an experienced goalkeeper next season”
continued Nana Fosu.
Goalkeeper Rashid Seidu featured in the
Kotoko-Tarkwa United match as a substitute, but since he was not
tested, he could not be accessed well.
Reviewing the performance of goalkeepers
George Arthur and Soulama Abdoulaye in the four trial matches
and the MTN FA Cup game, it is difficult to fault the views
expressed by the supporters interviewed above.
For example, George Arthur kept a clean
sheet when he was fielded for 90 minutes in the FA Cup encounter
against Nungua based Danbort FC. He as well did not concede any
goal in the first half of the Kotoko-Black Meteors match.
However, any critical observer will not
hesitate to admit that he was nervy in both games. In the more
recent game, the Kotoko-Africa Sports clash, he was mildly
nervous at some stage.
Talking about Soulama Abdoulaye who came on
as a substitute goalie in the Kotoko-Black Meteors game, he
conceded two goals and although he really could not be blamed
much since the team had a poor defence.
However, he was the target of criticism from
some fans whose claims were that the Burkinabe has lost the
qualities that made him the number goalkeeper in the 2007/2008
season and this any genuine Kotoko follower can deny that fact.
Goalkeepers’ Trainer, Joseph Carr agrees
that his charges have to buck up. He however insists that the
critics ought to be a little patient considering the fact that
George Arthur and Rashid Seidu for instance are up and coming
goalies.
That Soulama Abdoulaye has rich experience
is a point that cannot be denied anywhere but he will do a lot
of good to himself and Kotoko at large if he rediscovers his
superb form.
How he does that, I cannot tell apart from
charging the technical team and Soulama himself. He fortunately
understands that but stresses that the supporters in times of
difficulty have to be more encouraging.
For George Arthur this is what he had to
say: “I have heard the criticism and I am training well to
improve. I have even requested the video of our last match so
that I can see my mistakes. I am neither discouraged nor
disturbed; I am ready to improve”.
