Record holders of the Ghana premier league Asante Kotoko do not only have arguably the best coach at the dugout for the new league season, but equally boasts of one of the best squad in dept among the 18 teams to participate in the upcoming premier league season.
Asante Kotoko head coach Maxwell Konadu has options aplenty in terms of squad in dept from various positions, which will enable him deploy variable formations and tactics against each opponent his side faces in the new season.
With the league set to commence on Friday December 27, foxfmonline.com takes a look at available players in coach Maxwell Konadu’s disposal and the formations and tactics likely to adopt for the upcoming season. Below is the squad list of Kotoko, not ruling out possible additions as the transfer market is set to close on January 13, 2020:
Goalkepers: Felix Van Annan, Osei Kwame, Kwame Baah
Right Backs: Augustine Sefa, Samuel Frimpong, Christopher Nettey
Left Full Backs: Evans Owusu, Patrick Yeboah, Moro Ibrahim, Abas Mohammed
Centre Backs: Abdul Ganiu, Agyemang Badu, Empem Dacosta, Wahab Adams, Stephen Ayiku Tetteh, Habib Mohammed
Midfielders (Defensive): Justice Blay, Alex Didi Annold, Collins Ameyaw, Douglas Owusu Ansah
Wingers: Emmanuel Gyamfi, Godfred Asiamah, Martin Antwi, Augustine Okrah, Sam Adams, Kelvin Matthew Andoh, Matthew Cudjoe, Maxwell Baako
Centre Forwards: Sogne Yacouba, George Abege, Richard Arthur, Naby Keita, William Opoku Mensah
From the squad available to coach Maxwell Konadu, the likely formation to adopt, looking at the number of wingers (8) available will be the traditional 4-4-2 formation. It must however be noted, that other formations like the 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 may also be adopted in variations, but the 4-4-2 systems would be most suitable.
In this case, Asante Kotoko will be strong in attack because the team will attack with four players upfront with the left and right wingers joining the two forwards whenever the team is attacking. The left and right backs will have lesser job to do in attack but with more concentration at the back to make the back four an almost impenetrable one.
WEAKNESSES
Opponents who deploy the 4-3-3 formation will likely have best of the game at the heart of midfield. This is due to the fact that Kotoko will have only two players in charge of the central midfield as against the opponent’s three. However, coach Maxwell Konadu, who also doubles as the head coach for the Black Stars B, has lots of players at his disposal from which he cant vary his tactics and formations from match to match or in a single match.
The prospects are that comparatively, Asante Kotoko looks stronger going into the league and has a greater chance of winning the title ahead of the other 17 clubs all things being equal.
