This is just the beginning

Disappointed Kwadwo Poku and Osei Agyeman. 

Things change and tables turn but in my view our reactions particularly when situations change from good to bad matters more than simply discussing or brooding over whatever might have happened. My position has always been that, where we can't reverse bad developments, the best we can do is to adopt a positive mentality and look beyond the present pain.

I opened today's article this way precisely because of what transpired in Sogakope where Kotoko lost 0-2 to WAFA on Saturday. I wasn't happy that we lost. I wasn't happy that we returned home with stories about injuries to Felix Annan and Edwin Tuffour. Indeed, I wasn't enthused that, we didn't get a favourable result. Life must however go on.

Our focus shouldn’t be derailed all because we lost our first game. What to do next to win upcoming matches is what I find most important. The defeat notwithstanding, I had quite a good time on Saturday. It wasn't my first time visiting Sogakope but it was certainly the first time I drove to that match venue. It was an exciting experience being on the road with my colleagues – Gideon Boakye Botchway and Bernard Nyankomago Yeboah. 

Our friend from Graphic Communications, Fred – a passionate Kotoko fan joined us. We picked another colleague, Seth, from Atimka FM half way into the journey as the vehicle he and other journalists were travelling on had broken down. Bongo of Peace FM was also with us on our return. Generally, it was nice being with all these friends. 

Despite the negative publicity some of us often give to the domestic game, there’s no denial that, we love to follow it. None of us want to be left out of the fun in either watching or covering our Premier League for example. This view is vindicated by what I observed at Sogakope.

Fans, a lot of them packed dangerously on motor bikes, rode to the venue from nearby towns. Hundreds of vehicles with supporters from surrounding towns and others from Accra and Tema were also seen on the road to Sogakope. Because it was the only Premier League game on the first day of the competition, and of course, involving Kotoko, most journalists couldn't stay back in their offices or homes to follow proceedings on television or radio.

I met colleagues I haven’t seen in a while. I asked: why could we all risk our lives on our usually perilous roads to watch or cover a game in a competition we irreverently label as unattractive? I learnt one thing and it’s something I have always insisted which is that, no matter how ugly our competition looks like, it’s all we have. We thus have a duty to make it appear good in whatever capacity we find ourselves.

I doff my heart to colleagues in the media because while at home on Sunday following other matches, one could tell that, most media houses were up to something positive with their coverage. So back to the Kotoko game, the pre-match fun was perfect but trends in the match weren't amusing. Kotoko’s intended flying start was not to be. The Porcupines were "grounded" and unable to take-off despite the good efforts they made.

There's no question over the quality of players Coach David Duncan has assembled but as he himself once put it, the other teams have as well built solid sides and WAFA proved that. Far from giving excuses, I think Felix Annan's 25th minute injury as bad as it was, somewhat affected the team's disposition. Felix was seen confidently issuing instructions to his teammates, organizing the defence besides making splendid saves.

Coming up against his former team, he was in no mood to drop guard. He made about five wonderful interventions minutes before he was forced out by injury. While I wouldn't take anything away from WAFA, I'm convinced that, the outcome of the game would have been different if Felix had ended the game.

Even as we express our disappointment at the loss, let's not forget that, the competition has just started. We only need to go back to the drawing board and prepare adequately for the upcoming matches hoping that, the threat injuries are posing to the strength of our team will be reduced to the barest minimum or even eliminated.