By: Jerome Otchere

Date: 28-11-11

Coach Maxwell Konadu has dismissed suggestions that his side had an easy outing against Wassaman United in Sunday’s week eight, 2011/2012 Glo Premier League match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The coach said Kotoko deserved the 4-1 win because they prepared adequately for the game and also had things go right for them especially in the first half.

Kotoko hit the back of the net four times in 28 minutes to hand the Wassaman United, who luckily had a consolation goal, their second heaviest defeat since the season started. Reacting to comments that his side had a weak opponent, Coach Maxwell Konadu told Kotoko Express in a post match interview that there is no weaker team in the Premiership.

 He added that none of the Glo Premier League matches come easily. The Kotoko technical handler maintained that every team goes into a match well prepared and determined to win.

“No team is easy to beat in the Premiership. If you recall, we went to camp on Wednesday. We attached importance to the game. Eventually we reaped the fruits of our good preparation and hard work” argued Maxwell Konadu.

In the match itself, all the lively came in the first half where top marksmen, Ahmed Toure and Nathaniel Asamoah scored two goals each to end their three-match goal drought. Coach Maxwell Konadu praised the two strikers for their hard efforts saying that they would extend the team would send their good performance to Bekwai where Kotoko engages Edubiase FC on Wednesday afternoon at the Gyamfi Park in a midweek encounter.

“It is good for their confidence. It is also good for the team that the strikers are scoring. Their efforts at training are paying off. We hope to continue that in our next game at Bekwai” he said. Following is a minute by minute account of the game.

Kickoff: Referee Franklin Cobbina signals Wassaman United to start the game. The visitors win the first throw-in of the match after they foil Kotoko’s early incursion.

2nd minute: Kotoko goes on the offensive. Wassaman defence organises to thwart Kotoko’s onslaught.  Baba Rahman wins the ball to send a long, perfect pass to Ahmed Toure; Toure heads the ball to Nathaniel Asamoah who in return lobs the ball over a defender to Toure. Wassaman goalkeeper, Michael Tetteh comes out of his post. Toure cleverly lifts the ball over him into the net to register the first goal of the match.

3rd minute: Wassaman, led by Jordan Owusu launches a swift attack. Kotoko defence fail to stop the attacker who fires a straight shot, Soulama is beaten but left post saves the shot much to the relief of Kotoko supporters.

5th minute: Kotoko is well-organised. Their fast, passing game creates problems for Wassaman.  Daniel Nii Adjei comes in on the right with a powerful carpet cross that finds on-rushing Ahmed Toure in the box. Toure fires the ball home to grab the second goal of the match. Wassaman goalkeeper, Michael Tetteh appears totally dejected after conceding two goals in five minutes.

10th minute: Wassaman are in for trouble as Kotoko has full control of the game. The visitors however win a free kick close to the goal area. Joseph Mugre takes the kick deep into Kotoko’s goal area. Surprisingly, Kotoko’s defenders are caught ball-watching as danger man Issah Saliu nicely sneaks into the 18-yard box to powerfully head the ball home to leave the score at 2-1.

 11th minute: Despite scoring, the problems of Wassaman are not over. Ahmed Toure benefits from a long ball. He beautifully outwits goalie Michael Tetteh who comes out of his post. Ahmed Toure finds speeding Nathaniel Asamoah who delightfully sweeps the ball into the net to make it 3-1 for Kotoko.

19th minute: Wassaman coach Hebert Addo is on his feet issuing instructions as his team struggles to contain Kotoko. The visitors are lost as to how to reduce the pressure from the Porcupines. Jordan Owusu in an attempt to dispossess Baba Rahman fouls him badly to receive the first yellow card of the match.

23rd minute: Spectators boo Assistant Referee David Agyin who is performing poorly. Thus after three grave errors relative to the offside rule, the assistant referee is jeered loudly as he raises his flag erroneously to fault a decent Ahmed Toure-Fatawu Mohamed incursion.

28th minute: Pressure mounts seriously on Wassaman. Fatawu Mohammed initiates an attack. He locates Nathaniel Asamoah from the left. Nathaniel dashes into the box. He turns beautifully to deliver a tenacious right-foot shot which pushes the visibly tense and panic-stricken goalkeeper Michael Tetteh into his net as he attempts to stop the ball. It’s 4-1!

31st minute: Kotoko goes on the offensive again but their move is thwarted by the poor judgment of assistant referee, David Agyin who again rules that Nii Adjei is in an offside position. The fans angrily jeer him for his very poor decisions on the afternoon.

32nd minute: Coach Herbert Addo saves non-performing goalie, Michael Tetteh and his side embarrassment. He replaces him with Ibrahim Yekini who makes his first superb intervention seven minutes on as he surges out and dives well to save an Ahmed Toure perfect strike.

42nd minute: Wassaman goes on the offensive confidently. Stephen Aidoo overpowers Yaw Frimpong in the box but Awal Mohammed comes in with a big clearance. Ball falls to Ahmed Toure yet before he takes off, assistant referee one David Agyin again raises his flag wrongly.

His bad decision irritates the spectators who once more boo him for his absolutely poor work.

45th minute: The first half cruises to an end. The game is stopped temporarily. Yusif Abdul Karim lies on the pitch writhing in pain after an aerial tussle that sent him down heavily. He is given medical attention following which the referee ends the first half.

Second half: Wassaman makes their second substitution. Emmanuel Eyison is on for Stephen Aidoo. The visitors’ game plan is better this time, decent movement with high accurate passes but ten minutes after the interval, they still cannot break into Kotoko’s rear.

57th minute: Nathaniel Asamoah is unfairly shoved off the ball close to the goal area. An infringement is awarded to Kotoko. Yahaya Mohammed’s kick is powerful but it takes the wrong direction even as the home fans applaud him for his hard work in midfield.

62nd minute: There is little excitement in the game. Kotoko’s attitude on the field is without sense of urgency. Nii Adjei nonetheless dashes superbly into the 18-yard box. With only the goalkeeper to beat and indeed despite being with strikers Nathaniel Asamoah and Ahmed Toure, he feebly shoots into the hands of the substitute Wassaman goalkeeper.

66th minute: Daniel Asamoah comes on for injured Issah Saliu. Earlier on the Kotoko side, Afranie Yeboah and Fatawu Mohammed both went out for Michael Akuffu and Michael Anaba.

69th minute: Kotoko turns wasteful upfront as Akuffu, Yahaya and Anaba throw good scoring chances to the wind in succession. Yahaya Mohammed is booked for rough play; Ahmed Toure also goes into the referee’s book, claiming to have been head-butted when he was not. Raphael Obeng of Wassaman is also shown the yellow card for a bad tackle in three minutes on.

75th minute: Assistant Referee One, David Agyin gets it wrong again. He signals for a Wassaman corner kick when it should have been a goal kick to Kotoko. The fans boo him once more. Minutes on, Michael Akuffu launches an attack. He finds Nii Adjei in the box; Nii Adjei also locates Michael Anaba whose strike agonisingly misses the target narrowly.

81st minute: Nathaniel Asamoah makes way for David Ofei. The die is almost cast for Kotoko. Six minutes on, Awal Mohammed swaps positions with Yahaya Mohammed. Awal moves to midfield. He initiates an attack but he is fouled. There is little action. Fourth referee Sumaila Ibrahim signals that four minutes will be added on. The game ends as that time elapses.

Kotoko: Soulama Abdoulaye, Yaw Frimpong, Baba Abdul Rahman, Ohene Brenya, Awal Mohammed, Yayaha Mohammed, Daniel Nii Adjei, Afranie Yeboah/Michael Akuffu, Ahmed Toure, Nathaniel Asamoah/David Ofei, Fatawu Mohammed/Michael Anaba.    

Wassaman: Michael Tetteh/Ibrahim Yekini, Solomon Awuku, Kweku Boamah, Stephen Aidoo, Yusif Abdul Karim, Samuel Nartey, Maxwell Dosu, Issah Saliu, Jordan Owusu, Joseph Mugre, Raphael Obeng, Razak Kasim.