The first win that never was

Ahmed Adams being consoled by Theophilus Nyame  

I like the way the Kotoko-Medeama game was hyped. Quite a good message was sent to supporters of the club and the general public. Given the kind of turn out that was recorded, it's right to say that, the supporters and the public found a good reason to show up for the game.

The lesson picked is that, when matches are publicized well and supporters given justifiable reasons to be at the stadium, they will come and come well. The supporters deserve commendation for their presence and excellent sportsmanship. It's however unfortunate that, the team couldn't deliver to expectation. That’s my biggest worry.

It’s lately becoming a trend that, anytime supporters come to the stadium in massive numbers, the team offers them little or nothing to warrant or sustain such massive stadium attendance. That’s something all of us at Kotoko must reflect and act on. The CAF Champions League, preliminary round, second leg tie at home to Eulma of Algeria last year is an example.

There was a full house. The massive crowd expected victory and qualification but none came to pass. The teeming supporters went home very disappointed. What happened in Sunday’s encounter against Medeama is similar to the Eulma experience. But we don’t have to give up. The Porcupines will bounce back. They must do so immediately to restore joy and confidence.

Recording a loss at Sogakope on match day one and having in hand a potentially difficult match against Ashgold, the Medeama duel should have been won. That was the natural expectation. We all expected the Porcupines to rise to the occasion particularly when they were playing at home. That didn't happen for varying reasons. I will look at a few of them.

One, the team couldn't utilize the chances they created. Obed Owusu had glorious opportunities to score but he wasted them. A few more wastefulness upfront by other players left Medeama off the hook. Unfortunately, when Medeama had theirs, they took advantage of it. I won't deride efforts Kotoko made to score but I agree with Coach David Duncan that, the goals the fabulous lads scored were fortuitous.

My take is that, had the other few chances been taken by the team in addition with the fortuitous ones, we would have deepened Medeama's woes. With the draw, Kotoko simply gave Medeama a breather. The revelation by Medeama’s Technical Director at the post-match press conference that, their Swedish handler, Tom Strand would have been fired had they lost, explains Tom Strand’s relief.

Coming back to Kotoko, it’s painful that, the Porcupines still couldn't get us that flying start we have been expecting. But again, all isn’t lost. We have 28 more matches to play. We need not throw hands in despair. We need not be despondent. We need not press the panic bottom. We need not blame the coach and the players anyhow. That only aggravates the tense feeling.

Such an attitude could even derail attempts to plan and focus on upcoming other matches. To halt the less remarkable result, everybody in the team ought to exercise restraint. We must carefully and patiently look at the issues undermining the club’s performance and tackle them head-on. That careful examination can be done under a temperate atmosphere.

I believe some of the players are yet to understand the magnitude of expectation at Kotoko.

And there’s a point that has to be hammered well into the psyche of the players. They need not rush in front of goal and waste chances. They need to be devastating in their finishing. Any instructions given to them by Coach Duncan and the other technical team members have to be precise and reinforced. The team must play with a sense of urgency and take their chances.

Broadly speaking, the team has to reorganize and come back strongly to secure results that won't only push us up on the table but also bring smiles on to our faces. At Kotoko, victory means a lot. A loss and a draw, no matter the circumstance, dampens supporters’ spirit and confidence. I urge all not to be too bitter. The ability to return to winning ways is there. The team will bounce back.