Too early to press the panic button

Kotoko’s quest to successfully defend the 2013/14 Premier League suffered a temporary setback at the Kpando Park on Sunday when the Porcupines lost 3-1 to Heart of Lions.

I wasn’t at the match day 16 fixture but monitoring radio commentary and updates on Twitter, I could imagine the wounded lions roaring loudly to exact their pound of flesh after they were humiliated 4-0 in Kumasi in the first round of the competition.

The win by Heart of Lions sends signals to Kotoko that, the Lions are also strong at home. Sunday’s unimpressive outing for Kotoko came as a disappointment but no one should lose hope. It’s just too early to allow discouragement to set in. As worrying as the defeat might appear it shouldn’t lead any genuine Kotoko fan to give up on the team.

It is natural to feel bad because Kotoko lost but I reiterate that, there shouldn’t be the conclusion that, all is lost for Coach David Duncan, his players and the entire team. More matches, in fact, 14 matches are to be played. It will be a show of faint heartedness for anybody to write Kotoko off at this stage. I see the loss to Lions as a warning to the team.

The defeat is to tell Kotoko that, the objective of winning a fourth-straight title won’t come easy. Seeking to win the Premier League on the trot for four times will certainly be difficult. That’s not to say Kotoko can’t. It’s to say that, the Porcupines will face loads of hurdles.

What was seen at Kpando was just one, hence the need for the team to strengthen their resolve. Ashgold gave the clearest of indications that, Kotoko won’t have the title defence easy, by leading from the start of the competition to the end of the first round. They are yet to play their outstanding match.

Ashgold actually play Hearts on Wednesday. Regardless of what the outcome of that game will be, Kotoko’s current position (9th) shouldn’t create any trouble in the club. We should believe that the team will bounce back. I’m confident of that. My confidence stems from my conviction that, the team has the wherewithal to overturn the table.

It has to be acknowledged however that Kotoko have a tough path to travel. On Sunday, Kotoko will be at home to Edubiase. That will be followed by two visits to Accra to play Great Olympics and Liberty Professionals. Then they will return to Kumasi to host Bechem United. I don’t think I will be demanding too much if I ask the team to win all these matches to make serious claim for the title.

Medeama, Berekum Chelsea, WAFA, Ashgold and Hearts will be Kotoko’s opponents after hosting Bechem United. The last five matches of the season will see Kotoko engaging All Stars, Inter Allies, B. A. United, Hasaacas and Aduana Stars. It has to be noted that, Bechem United, Berekum Chelsea, Ashgold, All Stars, B. A. United and Aduana will all trek to Kumasi.

Kotoko must not drop points in any of those matches. They must however seek vital away points against Olympics, Liberty, Medeama, WAFA, Hearts of Oak, Inter Allies and Hasaacas. I accept that, playing eight away matches with the hope of winning all in no other competition than the First Capital Plus Premier League; is perhaps equal to asking that, your opponents don’t turn up for the matches so that you can be awarded all the points and goals.

That won’t happen. It’s a tall order but Kotoko must fight hard to win away matches too. If Kotoko’s title defence will come to pass, we must seek consistent and favourable away results. With the hope that the team will be spared injuries or ill-health, it’s my expectation that, Coach Duncan doesn’t also tinker with his team too much.

As a relatively new coach at the club, Coach Duncan may still experiment but that should be done cautiously because where and when the experiment doesn’t achieve desired result, the supporters will be unhappy. The coach still has the confidence of most of the supporters. Kotoko supporters’ confidence in the coach is very important in the whole exercise of the title defence because when you have the supporters’ backing, you have everything. 

The COSAFA Cup fiasco...

Coach Maxwell Konadu

Two defeats. Four goals conceded. One goal scored. That was the record of the home-based Black Stars at the just ended Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup hosted by South Africa. Ghana, not being part of that football community was an invited guest to participate in the 13-day tournament, which was eventually won by Namibia, who beat Mozambique 2-0 in the final.

Prior to the tournament, it was natural and perhaps easy to think that, the Ghana team, coached by Maxwell Konadu would win the competition. Not until this year, the COSAFA Cup wasn’t a competition many Ghanaian football fans followed closely. But this time, with Ghana’s participation, some of us paid attention to it. We were sorely disappointed.

Madagascar gave us what was a rude shock; beating the home based Black Stars 2-1. Madagascar?

That was the question on the lips of many football fans and commentators after that game.

Yes, Madagascar – the “huge island nation off the southeast coast of Africa”. The shock and disdainful remarks that followed Ghana’s defeat for me, painted an ugly picture of the utter disrespect we seem to have for the famous Island and all they represent in African football.

We easily forgot the overly used football maxim that, “there are no minnows” in the game. Additionally, we overlooked the fact that, a team’s pedigree in football doesn’t mean anything as long as that team doesn’t score or win. We should always remember that what matters most in the beautiful game isn’t the reputation a team has but rather, that team’s ability to live by its reputation. As Ghanaian fans and football commentators we lost sight of these facts.

The tourney has come and gone. I don’t believe Ghana should have boycotted it as some have suggested. I agree that, Ghana’s participation influenced the Ghana Football Association’s decision to change the start date for the First Capital Premier League’s second round. How flexible and weak our league calendar appears sometimes amazes me.

Back to the COSAFA fiasco, I disagree with the view that, the defeats inflicted on Ghana by Madagascar and Zambia (3-0) means that Ghana has a very poor league. That notion is wrong. Although I strongly believe that, the best of players and teams in our league have massive organizational and performance work to undertake before they can excel beyond Ghana, I don’t accept that our league and its products are in such awful shape.

We seem to have this nauseating habit of hastily vilifying our Premier League on very flimsy premise, as if to say that, ours is just so bad! It’s admissible that, we have to sit up and work hard to improve on the state of affairs regarding our Premier League but we should stop thinking of our Premier League in demeaning lights.

A little over a year back, Coach Maxwell Konadu and virtually the same team that failed at the 2015 COSAFA Cup were runners-up at the 2014 CHAN tournament, which in terms of prestige, is much bigger than the COSAFA competition.

 

I’m neither glorifying the underachievement of Coach Maxwell Konadu and his team at the COSAFA Cup nor am I arguing that, their inability to beat Libya at the CHAN final was good.

I’m only asking: What’s changed so much within one year for us to think or assume that, our Premier League is in terrible form compared to what exists in Madagascar and Zambia? 

I haven’t seen any negative thing concerning our Premier League in the last one year. If there’s been any change, it’s been toward the positive end. The little efforts clubs, the Premier League Board (PLB) and Ghana Football Association are making to change things ought to be appreciated and not denigrated.

I haven’t said we shouldn’t criticize the PLB/GFA, clubs or indeed club administrators. I’m only saying that, the never-ending, acidic remarks on our Premier League only corrodes if not poisons the minds of fans and people bent on helping make a lasting, positive change of the game.

Dr. Sarpong vs Kotoko: the contrasting views

Dr. K. K. Sarpong has dragged Kotoko to court.

Opinions are sharply divided on the case. Some think an out of court settlement is necessary. Others believe the case must be pursued in court to its logical conclusion. In the meantime, questions are being asked as to whether it was right for the former Executive Chairman, Dr. K. K. Sarpong to go court. Can the implication be that Dr. K. K. Sarpong – an Ashanti indigene has indirectly dragged the Great King, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to court?  

Others have also asked if at all Kotoko is beyond legal suit. Why the fuss about this court action? It’s a thorny issue. Anyone discussing it has to be extremely careful. First, the case is before a competent court of jurisdiction. Secondly, there are issues of customs and tradition, which one can’t ignore. There’s the view held by many Kotoko fans that, they as indigenes of Ashanti, like Dr. Sarpong, wouldn’t drag Kotoko which is owned by the Asantehene to court.

Their reasons are that, taking that action is equivalent to dragging the Asantehene to court, something they would never attempt to do. Kotoko is eternally owned by the Asantehene. Thus one can’t sue the club in a case like this without drawing its owner into the fray. They say the two are not detachable. Kotoko is the Asantehene and the Asantehene is Kotoko, they argue.

The above argument notwithstanding, the case is already in court. That must be respected.

As a journalist, I fully respect that, knowing the consequences of not showing that respect. Back to the contrasting views some fans believe that, the case must be settled in court so that the court can make a definite and binding pronouncement. Others think, it should be settled out of court to forestall the situation where Kotoko’s dirty linen will be washed in public.

Then there are those who also argue that, if there should be an out of court settlement, Dr. K. K. Sarpong respectfully should initiate that process, not Asante Kotoko. There are also those who are of the conviction that, to bring an end to the trend where ex-Kotoko managers make claims of the club owing them after their service, this case must be heard in court.

They say it will lead to some lasting changes regarding the management of Kotoko’s finances by those appointed by the Great King to manage it. Lawyers representing Kotoko are confident of mounting stoic defence in court. The National Circles Council have reposed absolute confidence in Kotoko’s lawyers. It doesn’t also look like an out of court settlement is in the offing given what a highly placed management source has said elsewhere in this publication.

“Kotoko want the case to be resolved by the court and in court. There’s no chance of an out court settlement” the source said. “Anybody thinking of an out of court settlement should forget about it. It’s not going to happen. Kotoko have been dragged to court. Kotoko lawyers have responded to the claims made against it. When the case is finally called and the legal battle begins, the club’s lawyers will argue their case as expected” the source added.

The source continues: “From the information available, Kotoko haven’t sued any individual or any club. Kotoko haven’t taken anybody to court. Kotoko haven’t instituted any court action so where from those appeals? Why are they not appealing to those who sued Kotoko? “Kotoko won’t go for an out of court settlement. If people are bent on seeing Kotoko doing that, they should stop; it will not happen…Kotoko is well positioned to fight this case” it ended. 

At this stage, I can only give an advice. That advice goes to Kotoko supporters especially. In the i

nterest of the case and indeed Kotoko, all commentaries should be made with the greatest of circumspection. There is no point in seeking to say anything that will be injurious to the outcome of the case. Again, we must be cautious with our remarks on the case. We should stay away from prejudicial comments. Eventually when the case has been thoroughly dealt with by the court, I will be back on the issue.

My little worry with the Elite Cup

GFA Communications Director, Ibrahim Sannie Daara.

When the Elite Cup was introduced, I commended the Ghana Football Association (GFA) not merely for the introduction but for the objective with which the competition was added to the FA’s calendar. It was to keep clubs active, they said; as a result of the long delay to the start of the Premier League following the legal battle between King Faisal and the FA.

The Elite Cup was important. Even though not many matches were played especially by the Premier League clubs before the King Faisal-GFA legal tussle that stalled the commencement of the league ended. Lower division clubs started playing the preliminary round matches until the number of participating clubs were whittled down to 16 a couple of weeks back.

Two division one clubs eventually reached the group stage. Sixteen (16) teams were recently grouped into four with each group having four clubs. The clubs are to play on home and away basis with the point-system being the same as that of the Premier League.

A cursory look at the groupings reveal that, the geographical location of the clubs were very much considered otherwise no type of random selection or balloting could place for example, three Brong Ahafo Regional clubs and in fact, All Stars into one group. These clubs are all in the northern zone of the country.

I am not faulting whatever wisdom that went into the grouping of the clubs. I am rather applauding it, since the geographical zone will help reduce travel cost. If the sole reason for introducing the Elite Cup was to keep the clubs more active than they have been over seasons, I think the GFA and its Elite Cup committee is having the purpose being served.

If it was to simply keep the clubs busy because the Premier League wasn’t in session, that objective has been defeated or in fact, it has to be revised. The Premier League has been in session since January. We have completed the first round – patiently awaiting the start of the second round. These are very little thoughts I have on the Elite Cup but my major worry with the competition so far has got to do with the general outlook if not its image.

Has it been branded well? It is true that, the FA has financial constraints but I’m of the view that, not everything is done with big money. Certain things take little money, deep thinking, commitment, dedication and smartness to execute. That is what the FA hasn’t done when it comes to properly branding or publicizing the Elite Cup. Despite the FA’s financial difficulties, it’s hard to understand why for example, they don’t have a competition logo for the Elite Cup.

How much does the designing of a competition logo cost, which the GFA can’t afford? If Kotoko Express as a club newspaper committed to the development of domestic football decides to publicize the Elite Cup, what image or logo will it use as a print media house?

Will Kotoko Express have to design its own logo using Kotoko players? What if Hearts News – the official mouthpiece of Accra Hearts of Oak also decides to have a design which predictably will be different from that of Kotoko Express? There will be an identity crisis if not confusion.

It is not for nothing that, for CAF or FIFA competitions, logos are designed for media or promotional use. I’m aware that, the FA has been chasing sponsorship for the Elite Cup. Perhaps when they secure one, there will be a graphical image or a logo for the Elite Cup.

Should we wait till then? The FA already has a logo. It has its corporate colours. It should be easy for them to design a logo for the Elite Cup using its corporate colours. That could help publicity and branding of the competition especially by print media houses.

This issue of Elite Cup competition logo might be negligible but it’s extremely vital for me as a print media person seeking to publicize the competition either in my newspaper, website or social media. I urge the FA and the Elite Cup committee to reflect on this very simple issue. If domestic football will develop, it requires little efforts by us all but the FA must lead the path.