By: David Kyei

Date: 22-09-11

The decision by the managements of Ghana’s most glamorous and prestigious clubs, Fantabulous Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak to commit themselves to play an unprecedented Charity match has received good backing from supporters and lovers of football.

According to the supporters who spoke separately with Kotoko Express mostly through telephone conversations, they were unanimous in their support and ‘A’ rating for the match as they mostly described it as a step in the right direction for the enhancement of the profiles of the club in terms of finance and the reaffirmation of their stands as the power houses of Ghana football.

In his conversation with this paper, a retired Police Officer, A.S.P Audland Kwasi Dapaah, who in many years gone by was a national Circle’s executive, was happy with the new breeze of camaraderie that is blowing between the clubs.

“Probably from my security training background, I had been very worried for many years about the imminent danger that loomed if the tension between the two clubs had not been diffused and rechanneled into positive energy for the success of the clubs”.

“For years, successive managements in their utterances and actions had heightened the tension between the two sides to the point where Kotoko and Hearts supporters saw themselves as enemies. That was not good enough because it was just waiting for a matter of time for an immediate cause to trigger what would have even been more deadly than the unfortunate May 9^th 2001 incident”.

“This is even the more reason why Dr. K. K Sarpong and his team have scored an high mark on my score card for getting involved and agreeing to play this important match. No matter what, Kotoko will be the better off for this match and I am all for it”.

Having praised management for the match which comes off live at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday, A.S.P Dapaah made a passionate appeal to the players and their Technical team.

“Much as this match is a Charity one and so has been categorized as a Friendly Match, I want to remind the players and their coaches that, matches between Kotoko and Hearts are a different ball game even when they are played as a friendly. Whilst a win over Hearts on Sunday will be a good boost for the preparation for the upcoming league season, it will also enhance the egos of the supporters. I therefore humbly plead with the players to see the match as an occasion to cancel the many painful defeats we have suffered in times past”.

Also happy with the organisation and participation by Kotoko is a former management member, Jarvis Peprah, who urged fans of especially Kotoko to patronize the matches in their numbers to prove to the world that Kotoko is indeed the greatest club in the country.

“Many have seen Kotoko as a club that they can take for granted and this is the time for us to rise and turn up at the stadium in our thousands to make a profound statement to those characters.  It is a good step that the managements have taken, for years these two clubs have thrown away billions of Cedis by their entrenched positions not to ever engage in friendly matches.

“Whilst I praise the management of both teams for this step, I also want to express my disappointment that all the funds from the match will not go directly to the clubs because the third party who is the organizer will also have to have their stake from the match.

“It is my wish that these big matches between the two clubs become a regular feature with the clubs themselves setting up a standing committee of a sort to see to the organisation of these matches so that the clubs use that as a fine avenue to raise funds to improve their lots as they prepare for the coming season,” he added.