From Tumu to Dawu with fondness

Halipha Sedogo in action 

It must have been a really different and truly exciting experience for my colleague, Gideon Boakye Botchway who accompanied the team to Tumu in the Upper West Region for the FA Cup match between Real 24 Hours FC and Kotoko. 

I say this because, even for me who wasn't part of the contingent to Tumu, I enjoyed myself, staying actively online late Friday evening to Sunday dawn – picking reports and photos from Gideon to feed our online audience. From their Kumasi departure to their arrival in Tumu and to the match itself and their return to Kumasi Sunday morning, it was an engaging moment decoding every item Gideon sent to make it public.

The club's website, Asantekotokosc.com and the Facebook Page were the places every major news item concerning the team's presence in Tumu was broken and it was done in good time. The response from the millions of visitors to our website and Face Page was remarkably good. Supporters and the public's hunger for news on Kotoko’s match in an area they perceived as remote was met with a good meal of timely information and exclusive pictures.

I doff my hat to Gideon once again for his apt responses to my demand for updates which at some point created the erroneous impression for many that, I was in Tumu myself. This is information technology and communication era. Multitasking in our field of work has become essential; therefore reducing the reliance on many people to execute a simple assignment.

Once again, well done, Gideon. Our professional work was commended by our audience. Their responses underscore how we can't take the club’s social media presence for granted. There has to be a well-cut out plan on how to package ourselves and what we put out there on such serious platforms if we are to be taken seriously every time.

Our task at Kotoko Publications, which has two notable outlets – the Kotoko Express and Asantekotokosc.com, is to promote and defend Kotoko – using acceptable, journalistic practices. In difficult times like now, our job at the paper and on the website turns out to be crucial to building and sustaining supporters' interest in the team.

The team must make our job easy by winning like they did at the Tumu Community Park on Saturday. Close monitoring of proceedings clearly showed that, good team play, unyielding spirit propelled the Porcupines to victory. They defied several oddities like the horribly bad pitch to win and progress in the FA Cup competition. 

Kotoko may not be living up to expectation lately. The team’s position in the Premier League might not be desirable but their progress in the FA Cup ought to be applauded. Every step forward in a knockout competition is significant for Kotoko whose millions of fans don’t take defeat of any kind lightly.

That’s why interim head Coach Michael Osei deserves to be encouraged to triumph in upcoming matches now that the focus is on the league. The dream to come back on track will only be real if the team continues winning. The mention of dream brings me to Kotoko’s next league game against Dreams FC at Dawu on Wednesday afternoon.

For me, the Eastern Regional town of Dawu evokes fond memory. As teenage Kotoko fan in Koforidua in the 1990s and early 2000 I usually had the chance of travelling with some adult relatives to watch Kotoko vs Dawu Youngsters particularly when their bankroller Seth Yeboah moved their venue from Koforidua to Dawu.

Dawu were relegated in 2002. Kotoko’s last game at that venue saw the Porcupine Warriors whitewashing them 4-1. This week, Kotoko return to Dawu after 14 years to face Dreams FC. Coincidentally, one of the players who scored in that 4-1 win at Dawu is Godwin Ablordey who’s presently interim assistant coach.

Godwin Ablordey and his senior colleague, Michael Osei must map out a good strategy to conquer Dreams FC who are yet to lose at home this season. Dreams FC naturally have been comfortable at Dawu but with the massive support base Kotoko have in the area and other surrounding towns, we must on Wednesday, turn Dawu into an uncomfortable place for Dreams FC. The way to do that is to beat them.