Asante Kotoko technical handlers are of the view that they beat Ashantigold SC in Sunday’s Asanti derby using tactical masterclass, but head coach of the Miners Thomas Duah insists the Porcupine Warriors only benefited from defensive blunders from the defenders of Ashantigold, gifting Asante Kotoko the goals.
Thomas Duah ascribed the three goals Ashantigold conceded to disregard for his instructions to his players, the defenders specifically which paved the way for Kotoko to pounce on loosed balls which they converted. The former Ashantigold star singled out former Asante Kotoko defender Empem Dacosta as the most guilty defender who gave away balls at dangerous zones that helped Kotoko’s Frank Mbella Etouga score a first hatrick of his Ghana Premier League career against Ashantigold.
“Some of my players lost concentration; the defenders”, coach Duah lamented, speaking to the media after the game.
“If I look at the first half which we ended, when we returned for the second half, the same things I spoke to them about were the same things they made them (Asante Kotoko) to score against us. [Empem] Dacosta made the same mistake in the first half and in the second half too he made the same mistake again, so I think we’ve lost due to disobedience”, Duah pointed fingers.
“It was good. I think so far for the first time in Baba Yara [stadium] we were able to find our rhythm, we were able to circulate the ball very well, confidently and if you look at the chances that we created we could have scored more”, these were the words of Asante Kotoko head coach Prosper Narteh after the match, explaining the tactics that won Kotoko the game.
In sharp contrast, coach Thomas Duah has insisted that all the three goals Asante Kotoko scored were not born out out any decent team play, but a mere benefits from give away due to defensive blunder on the side of his players.
“All the three goals we conceded were not out of any working out thing (referring to team play) that our defenders allowed them to score against us, so I think it’s painful”, Duah insisted.
