Asante Kotoko are dire need of a return to winning ways against premier league debutants Bibiani Gold Stars on Sunday evening, and all eyes and lenses have been fixed on the premier league’s top scorer Frank Mbella Etouga, who has been ruthless on clubs this season specifically at the Baba Yara sports stadium.
Etouga is the 2021/22 league’s current top scorer with 13 goals, but the Cameroonian forward is proving unstoppable to clubs after scoring 11 of his 13 goals at the Baba Yara sports stadium for Asante Kotoko, making him the man to watch out for as the Porcupine Warriors welcome the Miners on Sunday.
At his favourite home grounds, Etouga has scored a double of hat-tricks against Ashanti Gold Sporting Club and Accra Lions among other braces. One would bet his last sum on the Cameroonian to hit the back of the net against Gold Stars, but coach Michael Osei’s side claim unfazed by threat of Etouga.
Quizzed on whether Bibiani Gold Stars is wary of the form of Etouga, Communications Director, Samuel Kwagyire insists that his outfit has equally quality players to match the might of Etouga, a reason why they are unperturbed. He said, Etouga has benefited more from the penalty spot to grow his goal tally, and Gold Stars will surely guard against conceding a penalty to give the Kotoko man advantage.
“We are prepared very well to meet each and every player in Kotoko”, Kwagyire said in an interview with ghanasportspage.com.
“Just as you mentioned Frank Mbella, we also have equally good players who can also cause surprises at a point in time. We have also played against big clubs and this time around when talking about clubs that are performing you cannot exempt Bechem United, Aduana Stars and Medeama, but when all of them came [to the Dun’s Park] we also made sure we won those games”, he explained.
On ways of preventing Etouga from scoring on Sunday, Kwagyire stated that Gold Stars will avoid committing free kicks around the goal area and in the box so he doesn’t get the advantage of scoring from the spot. Moreover, he believes the Minors have got tried and tested defenders to handle Etouga and any other strategy of Asante Kotoko.
“Playing against Kotoko with Mbella, we know he has scored 11 goals [at home] of which most of them are penalties, so we’ll make sure our defenders keep their composure, very calm in order not to commit free kicks around the 18 yard box so it doesn’t result in a penalty for him to score. We also have equally good players who are tried and tested who can help defensively. Don’t forget we have Michael Enu, former of Ashanti Gold and Liberty Professionals who is also a centre back. We have Kwaku Dua, formerly of King Faisal and New Edubiase, and with the level of experience they have in the premiership, I don’t think [the threat of Kotoko can pose any threat for us”, he maintained.
To him, with the newly signed seven players, the likes of Prince Opoku Agyemang, Steven Owusu, Farouk Adams, Frank Amankwaah and the others, Bibiani Gold Stars are now stronger than before and would stun Asante Kotoko should the Porcupine Warriors turn to underrate them.
