"The stone the builders rejected has become the corner stone"; this old adage could apply to the surprise participation of Berekum Arsenals into the Coca Cola Top Four competition which is scheduled to commence on Sunday.
Originally, the red and white coloured team missed the fourth mark by inches but thanks to the withdrawal of Kumasi Asante Kotoko who felt the money was just not enough, Arsenals will now be having a feel of the lucrative competition. If nothing at all, the competition will help smoothen the team's rough edges before the start of the new soccer season.
The prestige alone, if not for only playing in the third edition of the competition could greatly boost the pedigree of the team, which hitherto appeared to remain anonymous.
Those who followed closely the Kinapharma premier league will attest to the fact that Arsenals deserved to finish in the last four; but unfortunately, ill-luck coupled with boardroom politics robbed them of that first opportunity. But as the saying goes, it is better late than never.
If Arsenals could exhibit the same performance they displayed in the premiership, then favourites - Hearts and King Faisal - should put their houses in order before any disaster strikes. What perhaps could affect Arsenals morale could be their support base.
Circumstances have forced the Berekum club to use the Kumasi Sports Stadium as their home ground to facilitate easy live coverage of the matches and that for me, could dampen their spirit and possible affect their delivery.
Those factors notwithstanding, Arsenals could be a major threat to the other three teams including Liberty Professionals who would play without their leading arrowhead Asamoah Gyan.
Gyan is due to continue his careers in Italy with Udinese however, his equally talented colleagues including Helegbe, Berkoe, Tiero and skipper Mustapha Essuman can withstand the might of any opposing team. On paper though, the most dreadful side that could mesmerize any club is King Faisal. The club produced a joint goal king in the person of Kwadwo Poku who banged in 13 goals together with Shaibu Yakubu of Goldfields but unfortunately Goldfields will not be participating in the competition.
Aside Poku, Faisal have an all round squad who posed a great challenge to Kotoko and Hearts during last year's football season and managed to finish third at the end of the league.
King Faisal will open their challenge against the scientific lads, Liberty Professionals at the Accra Sports Stadium, which could be billed as the top-liner while Arsenals host depleted Hearts of Oak, a club that is struck with the transfer of key players and are without their head Coach, Herbert Addo.
Hearts officials however, say the excise is in the interest of the club and that the players left will do the damage on Sunday at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. In reality though, it will be a daunting task for the former league champions who will also have to do without their influential attacker, Don Bortey, who is currently on trails in Europe. But while Faisal and Liberty struggle for supremacy at the Accra Sports Stadium, Arsenals will have a test case in Kumasi to prove whether they are really worthy substitutes for Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
