FA Cup: Win against Ashgold will calm nerves

If there’s one game whose result could briefly repair the gradually wearing confidence most Kotoko supporters have in Coach David Duncan and the team, it’s Wednesday’s MTN FA Cup quarter final clash against Ashgold at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Three discomfiting losses in the league, out of which Kotoko have scored six goals and conceded 10; have ruffled nerves with many fans criticizing the team for poor form. But in Wednesday's fierce encounter, the gloominess that has clothed the supporters’ hearts could dissipate easily if Coach Duncan and his team apply the brakes on the impressive Ashgold.

As a knockout game, Kotoko have no way dreaming of an FA Cup progress if they don’t win. That firmly explains why Kotoko must win at all cost. In the league, Ashgold have assumed the top position of the table from match day one. They now have taken what pundits are accepting as an unassailable lead. But that’s in the league, where indeed, they beat Kotoko 2-1 at Obuasi.

There can be no better means of signaling to Ashgold that, defeat awaits them in the return league fixture apart from dumping them out of the FA Cup. Victory for Kotoko will also end Coach Bashir Hayford and his team’s double dream. How Kotoko motivate themselves to brutally fight Ashgold and win remains Coach Duncan’s biggest task.

Beating Ashgold is not beyond Coach Duncan and his team. There is hope that, Kotoko will be victorious given the kind of resilience they exhibited when they engaged Great Olympics in Accra and won 3-2 last Wednesday. Kotoko’s determination to shut Great Olympics’ quest of winning that particular game was authenticated by their fight for a third goal after the home team equalized.

Thus, the 3-2 win offers a pillar based on which Kotoko fans can hang their hope, that, Ashgold will not survive. That hope notwithstanding, Kotoko must be careful of careless mistakes especially in defence since the confident Ashgold team could be deadly if gifted with cheap scoring opportunities.

The stakes are very high. Ashgold come into the game confidently. Kotoko must shirk any bad feeling resulting from the defeat to Liberty Professionals in Accra to redeem themselves in the knockout competition. The Porcupines can do it. They must ignore any condemnation from their angry fans and go all out to fight for triumph. A win certainly will calm nerves.