By: Jerome Otchere

Date: 07-10-11

As the 2011/2012 Glo Premier League commences on Sunday at the various league centres, managers, technical staff, players and supporters of Kumasi Asante Kotoko are hopeful this season will see the club clinching its 22nd league title.

Kotoko has won the elite football league a record 21 times but last won the title three seasons ago. With the dominance of smaller clubs such as Berekum Chelsea and Aduana Stars who emerged champions last season and the previous season respectively, Kotoko must work harder in the upcoming season to end the increasing dominance of the so-called smaller teams.

With the registration of 48 quality players for the season, sound managerial, technical and supporters’ unflinching support, the fabulous lads who are on with their two-week camping definitely would be the team to beat. The team travels to the harbour city to face returnees Tema Youth in what connoisseurs have termed as an explosive clash.

Tema Youth have been preparing for the league opener for weeks now and they are poised to apply the brakes on the Porcupines whose pre-season training sent them on a ten-day tour of Serbia, where they played six matches and followed it up with a series of trial matches back home including the recent 3-1 triumph over rivals Hearts of Oak at the Ohene Djan Stadium.

Another trial match at Sogakope on Wednesday against Red Bull Academy saw midfielders David Ofei and Fatawu Mohammed scoring to give Kotoko a 2-1 win. Kotoko Express gathers that Tema Youth are not the least bothered by those impressive results chalked by Kotoko.

Communications Director of the Tema side, Henry Asante told Kotoko Express on Wednesday that their groundwork for the start of the 2011/2012 Glo Premier League kicked off immediately after their promotion to the Premiership adding that nothing would stop them from starting well.

“We are more than prepared” stated the Tema Youth spokesman. “We have had only a month’s break since our qualification. We have been preparing not just for Kotoko but also the rest of the teams in the Premier division” added Henry Asante.

The Tema team sees their pairing with Kotoko on the first day of the season as a blessing in disguise. For them the motivation to emerge victorious is high, explained their Communications Director. “We have a fair idea of Kotoko; do not forget we drew goalless against them in friendly match played earlier this year” argued the Tema Youth spokesman.

As an away game against a one-time bogey side on an artificial turf, the fabulous lads are fully aware that it will take extra hard work to be victorious. Therefore the team’s training sessions throughout the week have been on the artificial grass at the Red Bull Academy – Sogakope.

The return of injured midfielder Mohammed Yahaya is one positive development that excites Kotoko coach Maxwell Konadu. He disclosed to Kotoko Express on Wednesday that all his players are in good health. Maxwell Konadu said the two-week camping in addition to the high performance the players have exhibited so far would turn things in their favour on Sunday.

“The performance so far is good; the camping has helped us; the new and old players are blending well. All the players are in good condition. We are ready for Sunday” he said.

On paper, Kotoko are favourites given their pedigree and most importantly the amount of work done by the team. Pre-season high performers Amos Frimpong, Abdul Baba Rahman and star-striker Ahmed Toure including all the other good players have the wherewithal to beat Tema Youth away to get the necessary firepower for the rest of the matches.