Former Asante Kotoko defender Shilla Illiasu has identified the talents of Asante Kotoko this season so far, and has picked up the player who has impressed him most in the ongoing season as he assess the team going into the Super Clash against Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday at the Baba Yara sports stadium.
The player who has been fans favourite this season has been Cameroonian international, Frank Mbella Etouga, who has scored a total of 15 goals in the league for the club so far, but Illiasu is much satisfied with with a different choice in a person of the team’s captain, Ismail Abdul-Ganiyu.
The centre back has been in top form for Asante Kotoko this season, but would be unavailable for selection against Hearts of Oak on Sunday following a red card he received in his side’s game against Karela United on in a league match on March 31.
Ganiyu won the 2016 Ghana Premier League title with the then Wa All Stars (now Legon Cities FC) before joining Asante Kotoko in October 2018, and has since been a force to reckon with.
Asked which Asante Kotoko player has impressed him so far this season, former Ghana and Asante Kotoko defender Shilla Illiasu unhesitatingly chose Ganiyu over Mbella Etouga who has been both the club and the league’s top scorer so far this 2021/22 league season.
“Frankly speaking Kotoko have a certain defender called Abdul-Ganiyu, I think he has really impressed me this season”, Shilla told ghanasportspage.com.
“I understand he has a red card but I followed his matches for the whole season and I think he has been fantastic for [the] fabulous boys”, he praised.
The 25-year old Ganiyu has been red carded twice this season already, against Elmina Sharks and Karela United. However, Shilla Illiasu believes that Asante Kotoko has the squad in depth enough to find a perfect replacement for Ganiyu in the game against Hearts of Oak on Sunday.
