The Ghana Premier League Champions, Asante Kotoko’s awful pre-season form continued last Sunday with another humiliating defeat at the hands of Tanzanian’s elite club, Simba FC
The Lion Army of Tanzania recovered from a sixth-minute goal by Kotoko’s new Ugandan signing – Stephen Mukwala, to win 4-2 at full time.
Kotoko have lost all three pre-season matches in Sudan so far – conceding 11 goals and scoring only two, as they prepare towards the CAF Champions League next month.
The defeat to Simba follows back-to-back defeats to Al Hilal Omdurman 2-0, 5-0 in a period of four days.
Though recording discouraging results, many experts believe the tour by Kotoko have been a good exercise and would afford new head coach, Seydou Zerbo, the opportunity to assess the team pretty well ahead of the 2022/23 betPawa Premier League season which begins next week.
Meanwhile, the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has canceled the Champion of Champions fixture between Kotoko and FA Cup winners Hearts of Oak SC that was scheduled to be played on Monday, September 5, 2022.
The preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League between Rail Club du Kadiogo and Asante Kotoko SC will now be played on Friday September 9, 2022
In postponing the Champion of Champions tie, the GFA also pointed to Hearts, who also have more than five players in the Black Galaxies and may require a postponement.
According to Ghanafa.org, however, cancellation of the Champion of Champions match was to give Kotoko SC ample time to prepare for the CAF Champions League and to afford the Black Galaxies the free room to qualify for the CHAN competition.
Kotoko will face Rail Club du Kadiogo on Friday, September 9 at Stade de Yamoussoukro in Cote d’Ivoire, while Ghana play Nigeria in the second leg of the CHAN qualifiers at Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Saturday, September 3, 2022
BY EMMANUEL ASANTE
