Duncan admits Kotoko need to work on mentality

Asante Kotoko coach David Duncan has suggested that his team is short of a fight-back spirit.

The FCPPL defending champions are having a miserable campaign this term as they have slumped to 10th position after handing Berekum Chelsea their first away victory since March 2013 on Sunday.

Berekum Chelsea travelled to the Baba Yara Stadium to sting the porcupine warriors with three unanswered goals.

Kofi Owusu grabbed the opener after 28 minutes but Kotoko shied away from putting up a strong attempt to equalize and were further punished when Owusu again, fed onto a defense splitting pass from Samuel Kyere to score his brace in the 80th minute.

Speaking after Kotoko’s 0-3 home defeat to Berekum Chelsea in the FCPPL, the trainer admitted the need to work on his team's mentality to lift themselves up when down in the course of games.

“We need to build a certain character traits that should see us being able to accept the fact that in the game of football, you can go down and come back into the game, equalize and go ahead to win,” he said.

“In most of the games that we have conceded first, it’s like immediately after that players cringe and players don’t show up, hide behind players and there’s no desire to play again. I think that we need to improve upon that mental attitude of the team.

“We need to be able to bounce back from setbacks. You can have a situation where your confidence is always buoyed by going up in a game or when it is barren. You also need to be able to fight back from a goal down and be able to take a game by the strap of the neck and go ahead to win.”

Asiwome Fumador capitalized on a defensive blunder between goalkeeper Eric Ofori Antwi and Akwasi Acheampong to put the final nail in the coffin at the in Kumasi in the final seconds.

The porcupine warriors now live dangerously at 10th position and are just three points away from the relegation zone. The face WAFA next at the Academy grounds in Sogakope in mid-week.