A Final After 10 Years

By: Kojo Addae-Mensah

Defending Champions (do you believe that?), Kumasi Asante Kotoko go into the defence of their title this Sunday after holding the trophy for 10 years without any challenger.

I think this will be a record which go into the Guinness book of records. It clearly points to how our domestic league has been on a downward trend even though members of the FA management team will disagree.

They will cite the fact that the dual hegemony of Hearts and Kotoko being broken goes to attest to the fact that the league has improved. Well everybody is entitled to their own opinions so we will agree to disagree.

Thankfully the FA cup has been resurrected but yet again thanks to a telecom company's benevolence for sponsoring the tournament. Slowly but surely, we have knocked off one opponent after the other and I think when Korak realized that the league title was already lost by the time he took over, the FA cup was a viable way of lifting a trophy in his first season in charge.

It will also be the first season of the indefatigable Dr. K.K Sarpong who will also make history for picking a major trophy in the first year of his tenure. Unfortunately thanks to

some strange decision making, his fist trophy, which would have been the President's Cup slipped through his hands rather painfully.

However, winning the FA cup will be great and will also give him and his management an opportunity to make some forays into Africa and also get the experience to prepare him for the major onslaught when we win the league next season and go into Africa proper.

I have no doubt in my mind that on Sunday, we will have maybe our toughest duel in the whole competition. Starting of with Danbort, through Deportivo and then a tight one with Aduana and Lions, putting Wa All Stars aside till we got to the final.

One will say playing Nania of the lower division will be an easier proposition than what we faced when we had to go all the way through penalties to eliminate the likes of Aduana and All Stars.

I will beg to differ. I have watched Nania play a couple of matches in the FA cup and they play for 120 minutes non stop without giving up. Indeed the last game they played against the league champions was testament to what I am saying and of course with their inspirational bank roller on the bench, they will no doubt fight to the very last whistle.

I believe we have played all our FA cup games in Kumasi and this will be the first time we will be coming to Accra to play in the competition.

This season, Accra has been on and off for us where we have won some but lost some as well so I am not sure what the FA cup will present to us this time around.

Coach Korak is currently not in town(as at press time) but I believe he will be back in Ghana early enough to direct affairs.

In the meantime, former star Maxwell Konadu is holding the fort and taking the boys through the motions. I am no coach and I have not been monitoring events on the training ground.

However, I am aware that no player has been sold yet even though it is the desire of management to sell at least seven of our regulars.

Though I wish none of our players will be sold, I acknowledge the reason behind the desire to sell the players. Kotoko owe big time monies to all sorts of people. Our debt bill is beyond two million Ghana Cedis, that is almost 20 billion old Cedis. It is a daunting task that K.K and his team have to clear this debt.

So on Sunday, with the full compliment of the team available, I think I will somehow have Soulama in post, strange but true. Soulama seems to play in the cup matches better and I will rather prefer he is fielded. Yaw Frimpong, Anokye, Kufuor, Awal, Nii Adjei, Teacher

Boateng (are you aware the black stars coach is looking at him?), I would prefer we play Nat Asamoah on the wing, if he is fit and then of course the current sensation in Ghana Ahmed Toure.

Somehow, Stephen Oduro must play in this match. If he is fit to play for 90 minutes, then I

will strongly recommend that the ever green Oduro is put into the squad. If his stamina is not enough then he must play for some 60 minutes.

Nania have a young squad of players who are quick to the ball and have energy. They will press Kotoko hard, they will attempt not to allow us to pass the ball and will play on the break hoping to nick a goal. If they do, equalizing will be difficult task.

Having said that if things go according to paper, then it will be a David and Goliath affair where Kotoko will be expected to run over Nania.

If you want to know the confidence that Nania will come with, just watch Dede Ayew when he was first introduced to the Black Stars. In the face of extreme intimidation from the senior players like Laryea and Sulley, the boy stood up and played and today is one of the heroes of the team.

That is the attitude that Nania will bring into the game and will face Kotoko without any fear or intimidation. If we lose guard, they will score us and take the trophy right under our noses.

I may be superstitious but as my friend Opoku Agyei says, you cannot believe in God without being superstitious so since I believe in God then it is okay for me to be superstitious.

Management please let us wear the white jersey to play in Accra. After all we are slated as the away team for the day. Knowing Nania, they will bring all the mallams in Ghana to their camp and play the psychological game but hey if mallams could win games, Ghana will be the world champions by now.

Kotoko, lets grab that trophy.

I remain your true red fabulous aficionado.

Kotoko Beku Me.