Asante Kotoko coach admits slow performance as a contribution to Legon Cities defeat

Asante Kotoko coach Prosper Narteh Ogum admitted his side’s defeat from the GPL week 26 fixture against Legon Cities as a slow performance.

The league leaders were defeated 3-1 by the visitors at the Baba Yara Sports on Sunday late afternoon.

Ogum, whose team lost to the Royals for the first time in the GPL since 2017, lamented that his side gave away the victory due to slow performance.

The gaffer was annoyed by the second defeat in a row following last weekend’s 2-1 loss to RTU in Tamale.

He insisted that the team had one of the bad performances ever since he took over as a master tactician from Mariano Barreto.

Despite the defeat, Ogum is generally bold that the boys will bounce back strongly in the last eight games.

“I can’t really tell…They looked so slow on the field of play, their movement wasn’t the usual movement. I can’t really tell what was actually wrong with them on the field. It’s a game over so we only have to make sure that we get back and do the right things for the next game.” – He told StarTimes in a post match interview.

He also added, “I think is just like one of the bad days at the office. I mean is one of the bad days on the field. Defensively, I think we allowed them spaces especially looking at the third man without the ball, we didn’t keep an eye on those players who acted as third players running without the ball and if you look at the second goal that we conceded, and then the third goal were photocopies of each other. I mean it was just a simple tap in and a simple header into the goal and in such positions you expect that the defenders should be there to clear their lines but they were not there. You see you can be at a position but when you are there and you are not doing what defensively you are not supposed to do then you are just three to add up to numbers but I said, it has happened.”

“These are the very players who have played up to this level getting us to where we are now. You don’t blame them to much. I mean they’ve done their best on the field today but it wasn’t enough. As you said probably I have to sit down with them and find out what’s the issue is. Apart from that I think nobody should cut them into pieces. They should keep their heads up and chest out. Eight more games to go. We only have to focus and make sure that we win as many games as we can to move on.”