By: David Kyei

Date: 07-06-11

Asante Kotoko FC’s Burkinabe goalkeeper, Soulama Abdoulaye, has shown by his performance last Sunday against Medeama FC that given more playing time and encouragement, he remains one of the best goaltenders the club currently has.

Having not tendered the post in a competitive match in the last six months due to work permit difficulties and also not making the team, many expected that match rustiness was going to take the better of him.

However, he stood tall and scored full marks with his performance as the one who on many occasions in the said match stood between the home team and a goal.

Typical of him, his reaction time and anticipation were at their pinnacle and so, he was always drawing applause from the fans as he pulled one top-drawer save after another.

In an interview after the match, he told Kotoko Express that he was happy that the coaches heeded his call to be given the chance to taste league action.

“Much as I know my work permit was delaying, I was seriously training so that I did not dip in form. I also used the opportunity to do a reflection of my past performance, watched videos of my matches and did some corrections to the mistakes I made”.

“I am happy that I these have worked for my good and have not disgraced myself when the final opportunity was given me”.

Before the match, Soulama did not have any inkling if information that he was going to be the one to tend the post for the match and so all his prayer for the match was to God for protection for the team that would be announced for the match.

“It is typical of me that even when I am not in camp, I call my colleagues to pray with them and also wish them well and so that was what I was doing even at the time of the team meeting”.

“When my name was called as the one to start the match, I was not afraid but rather relieved that I was going to get the chance to play in the league once more before it ended. Remember I played in the first match of the season in which we lost in Kumasi, and I was once again called on to end the season. That could be a record achievement you know!”

Despite all the good saves including point blank ones, Soulama says the save that got him clapping and happy was the one pulled by his colleague Isaac Amoako after he Soulama had been substituted after an injury.

“Amoako’s save was a master act. Wow, that ball he parried over the bar is the bane of every good goalkeeper. It normally beats us and so I doff my hat for Amoako for proving that he is the number one at Kotoko”.

The success at Tarkwa has really set the tone for the players as they have started looking forward to a big semi final match from where they intend to move to the final and eventually win the cup.

“The MTN FA Cup remains our target as a team and we are not going to allow any team to stand in our way. Anyone who crosses our path would be dispatched because our intention to play in the continental competition this rests solely on our winning the MTN FA Cup”.

“We the players are very much aware of that fact and we are doing all our possible best to secure that ticket for our owner, our chairman and the fans”.

“We thank the fans for their support and would like them to know that Soulama Abdoulaye is not finished yet, but rather, I have gotten to an even higher face of my performance where success is all that I seek,” he assured.

In a related development, Dr. Kwaku Boateng has assured that the injury that forced the technical team to substitute Soulama in 77^th minute of the match against Mediama last Sunday was not a serious medical problem.

“He only suffered a shoulder dislocation and was fixed back right on the pitch. He would be given some medication to ease the pain would also be rested from training for three to four days and he would be back into action,” Dr. Boateng added.