Once again Asante Kotoko head coach Prosper Ogum and his players left it late to win 3 points in the league and once again, the coach is ecstatic and believes whatever he thought his players were used expertly to win 2-0 against Bechem and insisted his players won’t kowtow to pressure to balloon balls, known in local balance as “bim bim”.
Kotoko came from a goal down last week against Dreams to win 3-1 in Accra and Kumasi today, when all hopes were lost, the Fabulous club pulled two goals out of nowhere to discipline fellow league leaders Bechem Utd on their return to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
It was a day Bechem marshaled all arsenals and stood up toe to toe, punch to punch with Kotoko, denying Kotoko the joy for the supporters until a few minutes to end the match. It was a very tough match with three ex-Kotoko players Augustine Okrah, Abdul Latif Anabila, and Emmanuel Atta Nyamaa Asante giving their former club a hell of a time as they played a match of their lives, much to the disgust of Kotoko supporters. They chased every ball and kept Kotoko at bay, attacking at some points and nearly had goals, while defending with their very lives. This, the Kotoko coach Ogum believes was their downfall, and just a matter of time as he knew Kotoko will clinch the points from Bechem looking at how they overworked.
“They overworked themselves and were fatigued getting to the end of the match. I said last week that a new game model is in place at Kotoko and no matter what, Kotoko players won’t balloon
balls (even when we are desperate to score)”.
“Bechem could not distribute their energy well and we capitalized on the fact that they got tired”,said Ogum excitedly after the match .
Asked if he was under pressure from the opponents and supporters when the going got tough, the coach said that even in colts football there is pressure thus there was no need to panic.
“There is pressure everywhere but how you react to it and how the coach manages the pressure (tells on the result). There is pressure everywhere and even in colts football. As a coach, I listen around, even to the supporters, and know their concerns, the supporters should be patient and support us all the way. “, pleaded Prosper who has won his second straight match in the league and now tops the table with 6 points.
Kotoko now travel to Bibiani to slug it out with new entrants Gold Stars, who sent a high powered delegation led by head coach Michael Osei to spy on the Kotoko match with Bechem.
By Patricia Adjei Yeboah
