President"s Cup 2016: Hearts of Oak vs Kumasi Asante Kotoko

Follow Sportscrusader.com live text commentary on 2016 edition of the President’s Cup between arch rivals Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.

President"s Cup 2016: Hearts of Oak vs Kumasi Asante Kotoko

Kenichi Praises His Team After Kotoko Defeat

Hearts of Oak head coach Kenichi Yatshusashi has taken his Facebook page to praise his teams performance.

Hearts recorded their second defeat at home and of the season after a howler from goal keeper, Soulama Abdulai caused an own goal as he was put under pressure by Kotoko striker, Dauda Mohammed.

The Japanese-American has always been defiant in defeat and praised his teams performance and also encouraged Soulama.

He wrote, “I am proud of our players; they played well. We created many chances to score and defended well too. We were unlucky today. Soulama is great goal keeper. I still trust him. We will go back to our training and will come back strong for the next match.”

Hearts will look to pick themselves up immediately as they get ready for their next game in the premier league.

Kenichi Praises His Team After Kotoko Defeat

Thomas Abbey Cautions Teammates Ahead Of Kotoko Game

Accra Hearts of Oak enterprising midfielder Thomas Abbey has called on his colleagues to eschew complacency ahead of their Ghana Premier League (GPL) clash with Kumasi Asante Kotoko on 2 May in Accra.

The crocked midfielder envisaged a tougher opposition from their fiercest rivals when the beleaguered Reds trek to the nation’s capital.

Thomas Abbey however remains confident the three contested points cannot be compromised if they are to confirm their mini resurgence on the domestic scene.

The 23 year old talented midfielder has missed the Phobians last few  matches due to a bow with his stomach but could return to hunt their troubled Oseikrom boys on Monday.

Accra Hearts geared up for the domestic classic with a well deserved away win in Obuasi whilst Kotoko were tamed in front of their own fans by New Edubiase United.

Thomas Abbey told Sportscrusader.com “It is going to be a very tough game for both sides on the day as a top liner. The most important thing however is that we are going to beat them at home God willing”.

“We just have to respect them and avoid complacency when we take to the field on Monday. It has been a great season for us this campaign and a win over Kotoko will even help us the more,” he said.

“The most important thing is for us to avoid complacency although they are not dangerous this time around,” he added.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko has endured their worst start to a season in over four decades with 3 wins in nine games whiles their fiercest nemesis are flying high with 18 points from the 27 available so far.

Thomas Abbey Cautions Teammates Ahead Of Kotoko Game

Duncan Squandered His Chance At Kotoko

The ‘dribbling magician’, Mohammed Polo in an interview with Sportscrusader.com, mentioned that, he believes beleaguered Kumasi Asante Kotoko coach, David Duncan ‘wasted’ his chance during his time with the Kumasi based side.

The former Ashgold coach was relieved of his coaching duties with the record Ghana premier league champions on Monday morning after a string of poor results in the ongoing 2015/16 Ghana premier league season.

Under his tenure as Kotoko coach, the side started a season poorly for the first time in fifteen years with just one win recorded in 6-matches played so far and Polo who knows how difficult it is managing Kotoko’s arch-rivals, Hearts believes Duncan just could not handle the coaching post.

He said, “Duncan has to accept the management’s decision to relieve him of his coaching post as this comes along with being a coach and treat this as one of those.”

“unfortunately for Duncan he missed the opportunity to coach one of Ghana’s biggest club’s and that is the hard fact. Such chances can make or unmake depending on how you grab the chance. He thought because he had a good pre-season it was a justification that even a poor league start will still keep him in a job and this complacency has cost him.”

Duncan Squandered His Chance At Kotoko

Eric Bekoe Is A PRO For Hasaacas

Kumasi Asante Kotoko management member, Edmund Ackah has labelled former player, Eric Bekoe as a Public Relations Officer (PRO) for his new club, Sekondi Hasaacas and not a registered player.

 

Bekoe signed on a free transfer for Hasaacas in the transfer window from fellow premier league club, Berekum Chelsea and it seems the forward has found a place he can call home with three goals already scored from 4-matches played.

Hasaacas travel to face Bekoe’s old club, Kotoko on Friday in match week 5 of the Ghana premier league season and the ex-forward has promised not to jubilate when he scores.

Kotoko has been a pale shadow of themselves and that excited fans and bookmakers in the off season with a near perfect pre-season form – as the Porcupine warriors are yet to record a win this season haven recorded two draws and defeats in four games played thus far.

And Bekoe has jumped on the bandwagon of poor form to threaten his old club of yet another defeat but the tough-talking Ackah has asked him to speak less going into the game as this season might be his last as footballer.

He said, “I don’t know how many clubs he (Bekoe) has played since he left Kotoko except Berekum Chelsea for him to brag of scoring against us (Kotoko) each time he faces his old side. He has experience in the field of public relation and I know he is a good PR man, since his club has none he is their PRO now.”

 

“He can brag simply because we are win-less in four games with two defeats and two draws so obviously he will perform his PR duties,” he added.

Eric Bekoe Is A PRO For Hasaacas

Kotoko Admits Complacency To Poor Start

Kumasi Asante Kotoko board member and director of operations, George Kennedy has revealed that the club’s poor start to the league season is down to complacency.

The 24-times Ghana premier league champions were tipped to easily win the trophy they missed out in the 2014/15 season after an almost perfect pre-season preparation saw them tagged as favourites by the bookmakers.

But Kotoko is yet to win a game this season after four-matches played; the record stands as two defeats, two drawn games and 2-points and this has angered the fans who are calling for the dismissal of head coach.

Kennedy has admitted the club’s poor league start can be partially attributed at the doorsteps of complacency after the club had an impressive pre-season preparation.

 

He said, “it is a matter of complacency. We had a good recruitment exercise and pre-season and that had adverse effect on the players who got swollen headed and this has affected the team. We are psyching the players up and hope to bounce back beginning with our next game.”

Kotoko Admits Complacency To Poor Start

We Expected Hearts To Get Tired ... - Bechem United

Kwame Opuni, head coach of Bechem United has admitted failure with his tactics in the 3-1 defeat to Accra Hearts of Oak in match week of the 2015/16 Ghana premier league season.

Hearts continued their fine start to the season with another impressive afternoon shift that saw them leapfrog both Dreams FC and Wa All Stars into first place on the league table.

The 20-times Ghana premier league champions are yet to lose this season and made an easy meal of Bechem’s threat as they put them to the sword but the surprise admission of Opuni after the game in relation to his tactics was a fascinating one.

During his post-match conference the soft-spoken coach admitted Hearts played him to his own game after looking to capitalise on the weariness of their host and then punish them when fatigue sets in.

He said, “I wanted to wait and see Hearts get tired and then capitalise on that to hit them on the counter attack but for the first half the plan failed. I had to change the tactics and Hearts took full advantage with their enviable fitness and killed the game off”.

We Expected Hearts To Get Tired ... - Bechem United

Press Release: Kotoko Must Sit Up!

Kumasi Asante Kotoko supporters wing, Musical Group of Kotoko (Circle 300 Nima) has released a press statement on the club’s poor run to the commencement of the 2015/16 Ghana premier league season.

The 24-times Ghana premier league champions are yet to record a win in the league and after yesterdays 2-0 defeat to Berekum Chelsea at the Berekum Golden City park in match week 4, the fans have called on the hierarchy of the club to sit up and find a solution to the great club’s free fall from grace.

 

The Kotoko management is reported to have scheduled an emergency meeting later this week to discuss the dwindling fortune of the club this season.

Press Release: Kotoko Must Sit Up!

Coach Duncan Leads Kotoko Rally Call

Ahead of their weekend clash against Berekum Chelsea at the Golden City Park on match day four, Coach David Duncan is tasking his players to build on what they were able to do in Wednesday’s outstanding match day two league fixture at home to Ashgold.

Coach Duncan said there was the need for the team to show consistency in their performance.

The coach made this call on his players when speaking to journalists moments after the goalless draw with the defending champions.

The Kotoko trainer said in his initial assessment of proceedings that, he felt the match could have gone to either side.

He later insisted that Kotoko dominated play and could have won but for poor shooting upfront.

“It was a regional derby. Both teams at one time and the other had the opportunity to carry the day. It was a game in which chances were few and far between. The plot of Ashgold was to catch us on the break to unsettle us. We dominated play and made incursions when we re-organised.” Duncan said.

Kotoko is looking for first win of the season and the lads and technical team know anything short of that will only increase the pressure gradually gathering on the team.

Coach Duncan Leads Kotoko Rally Call

Denied: Greek Side Deny New Year Match Against Kotoko

Veria Deny Friendly Match With Kotoko

 

Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s global image might have suffered a huge blow after CEO Opoku Nti’s confirmation of an international club friendly against Veria FC has been denied  by the Greek side footballcrusader.com can reveal.

 

Greek side Veria FC Officials have exclusively revealed to footballcrusader.com that they are in the dark about the widely publicized friendly with dethroned Ghana League Champions Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

The Porcupine Warriors have announced January 3 as the date for the friendly to celebrate their 80th Anniversary but source revealed the Greek side know nothing about the game.

the official chat denying the match against Kotoko

The 23-times Ghana premier league champions had confirmed via the club chief executive officer, Opoku Nti that on the 3rd of January 2016 the Greek side, Veria will visit Ghana and play the Porcupine warriors. The much-anticipated friendly was expected to come off last month but was postponed due to Veria FC’s inability to show up.

 

The Greek side denied having been contacted by any agent  claiming to arrange a friendly between the two sides.

The Greek side, Veria FC are currently involved in a relegation and will be playing a match on the 2nd and 4th of January in the Greece Super Lig.

Denied: Greek Side Deny New Year Match Against Kotoko