Kumasi, Dec. 5 (Graphic) -- There was heavy attendance of fans at the Ridge training grounds of Kumasi Asante Kotoko yesterday as the team reassembled in preparation for the final showdown with Hearts of Oak in the CAF Confederation Cup at the Kumasi Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The team took a rest after last Sunday 1-1 drawn game in Accra and restarted training yesterday under the tutelage of their confident German trainer Hans Dieter Schmidt. The big attendance at the training grounds was perhaps a testimony to the kind of support the team should expect on Sunday.
All the key players who did battle on Sunday trained. William Tierro who missed the first leg is likely to miss the second leg too. He was at the training ground but did not train.Kotoko may have a training or two session at the Kumasi Stadium before the D-Day.Expectations are very high in Kumasi,and many supporters of Kotoko believe Sunday is the opportune time for Kotoko to bury Hearts and make history as the first side to win the Confederation Cup.
Even though the fans were disappointed at the late equaliser, Kotoko gave away to Heart in Accra, they still believe that the away goal fetched was key to their winning the cup.Dieter-Schmidt had insisted that nothing would stop Kotoko from winning the cup and is devising the strategy to nail the Phobians.
Kotoko do not have any injury problems and will be entering the game with full strength.Sunday will definitely witness perhaps the biggest attendance at the Kumasi Stadium in recent times and police have assured of tight security to maintain law and order.
Yesterday morning when the Graphic contacted the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP), Mr Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour at the regional police headquarters,he was busily putting together security arrangements,with the support of other officers of the service.According to ACP Gyeabour, nothing was being left to chance to ensure a peaceful grand finale on Sunday.
