"Planeload" of Moroccans Coming!

Supporters of Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco (WAC) plan to make their compatriots feel at home when they face the Porcupine Warriors, Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Kumasi Fast Track Stadium on Sunday, December 8.

A planeload of supporters - 170 in all - is scheduled to arrive in Ghana on match day and depart the same day according to Moroccan embassy sources. The Moroccan embassy yesterday informed Kotoko management of the travel plans of the WAC supporters even though they have still remained tight-lipped about the whereabouts of Senor Fullone and his Athletic Club.

The Moroccan club has refused to inform Kotoko of its travel plans and hotel reservations have become a headache for Operations Manager Eric Coffie who is hounded daily by Georgia Hotel to confirm the arrival date.

A letter from the embassy received yesterday requested Kotoko to reserve 170 seats for Moroccan supporters who will defray the cost on their arrival. The letter also enjoined Kotoko to guarantee the smooth stay of the Moroccan fans in Kumasi and also informed the club that the Moroccan Ambassador in Ghana, His Excellency A. Tourougui would be represented in Kumasi on match day.

Meanwhile the Ghana Football Association and Kumasi Asante Kotoko are feverishly preparing for match day.

The committee set up by the Association to oversee the smooth organisation of the match met yesterday to deliberate on issues concerning VIP tickets, security and accommodation for various visitors arriving for the match. The FA component of the committee include, Deputy Chairman, E.A. Owusu-Ansah, Yaw La Danso, General Secretary Kofi Nsiah, Protocol Officer, Alex Asante and Deputy General Secretary, Emmanuel Gyimah.

Kotoko Express has reliably learnt that Sport Five, the media company managing CAF's rights on the match is entitled to 135 match tickets according to a letter received from the continental soccer controlling body.

Director of Finance and Administration, George Amoako intimated to Kotoko Express that tickets for the VIP sections of the stadium may not go on sale at all as there are huge protocol requirements on the match organisers. CAF, Sport Five, Government, FA and a host of other related organisations all require protocol ticket allocations and this is something that can be a nightmarish experience as requests could come in as late as Sunday morning - the day of the match!

Meanwhile Asante Kotoko's major sponsors, Spacefon have moved into power-drive ahead of the grand final. Apart from a huge banner placed in front of its Graphic Road Offices in Accra and an ongoing SMS predict and win competition, an undisclosed sum has reportedly been paid to Sport Five to enable the GSM service provider to hang its buntings and banners on match day at the stadium. The payment also paves the way for Kotoko to advertise the Spacefon Logo on its jerseys for match day.

In the first leg in Morocco Kotoko had to battle match commissioner Badara Sene unsuccessfully to wear the Spacefon logo and it took a last minute intervention from Sport Five, who have a working knowledge of CEO Herbert Mensah before the game could be played with the new jerseys flown in from Germany. There were plans to paste a blank piece of cloth over the Spacefon insignia before kick off!