Former Asante Kotoko goalkeeper George Owu has acknowledged the efforts of the club’s in-form short stopper Kwame Baah, whose exploits has earned him a start ahead of skipper Felix Annan, saying, it will be extremely difficult for Annan to reclaim the number one spot.
Felix Anna has been the number one goalkeeper in the Asante Kotoko goalkeeping pecking order, but lost his position to second choice keeper Kwame Baah during the 2019/2020 annulled Ghana Premier League (GPL) season. Annan sought for permission to marry his long term girlfriend in January this year, after the date for the marriage had been set in the latter stages of 2019. The absence of the former WAFA product gave the way for second choice Kwame Baah to man the posts in three successive league matches where he let in no goal, with Asante Kotoko grabbing maximizing points.
The impressive output of Baah left coach Maxwell Konadu with no option than to bench his skipper and number one goalkeeper Annan after his marriage, maintaining Kwame Baah in post.
Kwame Baah has since performed creditably well to the admiration of the fans, making it difficult for Anna to reclaim his position.
Addressing the current situation with Asante Kotoko goalkeeping situation, former goalkeeper George Owu has stated that it will be extremely difficult for Felix Annan to return to the posts looking at the performance of Kwame Baah. According to him, goalkeeping is about taking your chances and Kwame Baah has do so well.
“It won’t be easy for him (Felix Anna) for him to come back because the boy (Kwame Baah) is also determined to cement the position, and he is keeping well too so you can’t take him out”, George Owu stated during an interview with West Gold Radio.
Asked how Annan can regain the number position, George Owu predicted that unless he trains very hard but that will even give him the chance only where Kwame Baah drops in performance. Alternatively, Owu stated that unless Annan leaves for another club.
“Goalkeeping is about chances. Unless maybe Felix Annan thinks of leaving for another club, but if he is given another chance and he proves better that will be all, but the boy too doesn’t want to take chances with the chance given him”, he explained.
Owu further stressed that hard work and hard training will not be enough for him unless Baah’s form dips.
“No, no. Unless the boy commits some blunders or his form goes down before you can bring in Felix Annan. If you bring Felix and he is not able to perform well after two to three matches, the boy has to come back again. Now the boy has taken the lead and looking at that, Felix Annan has to raise his training”, Owu maintained.
Before the covid-19 enforced suspension of the domestic league in March which led to the league’s eventual cancellation, Baah had always been started ahead of Annan and it’s left to be seen whether coach Maxwell Konadu will have a change of mind when football resumes with the 2020/2021 season set to commence in October.
