Asante Kotoo head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum has called on the numerous fans of the club not to leave the club in the lurch amidst the seeming difficulties the team is going through getting to the end of the season.
Asante Kotoko have succumbed to first time back to back defeats in the premier league this season after losing 2-1 away to Real Tamale United and 3-1 at home to Legon Cities on Sunday. The league leaders have been a little bit inconsistent these days with results accumulation despite leading the league log by 8 points adrift of second place Bechem United who have a game at hand.
Their 8-point league would be reduced to 5 should Bechem United beat Accra Great Olympics on Monday afternoon at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park, and with Asante Kotoko playing their next game away from home at WAFA, fears are that the fans of the club are beginning to doubt whether coach Ogum can really lead the team to the league title which has eluded the club since 2013.
Speaking to StarTimes TV after their 3-1 defeat to Legon Cities on Sunday, coach Ogum called on the fans not to stop believing in the team, but keep on supporting with all commitment and say positive things about the team.
“No, [the defeat to Legaon Citities] shouldn’t take away the believe in their hearts. They should still believe in the team. If you look at the way this team has played up to this level, it’s not because of this defeat that they have to stay away from the team”, Ogum said after the match.
He stated that this is the time the team needs the fans most to rally behind them, and encourage them. He also urged the fans not to resort to saying negative things about the team as that may have negative effects on the players.
“It is rather at this crucial time that we need them the most. We need them to be around the team to encourage us to bounce back, that is the most important thing. If you show signs of disbelieve in the team, if you stay away from the team, you say things that are not pleasant about the players and the team, that would rather not be good for the team.
So I will plead with them to get closer to the team, support the team, encourage the team and make sure that we can always feel in our hearts and in our minds that we have them behind us, and I think once they are able to do that, this is Kumasi Asante Kotoko we are talking about – we can easily bounce back”, he pleaded.