Kotoko's morale boosted ....

as they clash with JS Kabylie in MTN/CAF league
Kumasi, Sept 4, GNA -- Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club made amends for their recent 0-4 humiliating loss to Egypt's Nadi Al-Ahly with an improved game against Berekum Arsenal whom they spanked 3-0 in the One-Touch Premier League encounter at the Konongo Park on Sunday. The Porcupine Warriors seem to have found the antidote to their inability to score in their recent matches as they looked more purposeful upfront in the game by coming up with some flashes of accurate shooting that resulted in two of the three goals they scored on the afternoon.

It was a win Kotoko needed badly to buoy their confidence ahead of their MTN/CAF Champions League Group clash with Algeria's JS Kabylie at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium this Sunday.

To Kotoko, Sunday's match is a 'do or die' affair in view of the fact that anything apart from a win will certainly dash their hopes of advancing to the semi-final stage of the Champion's League. When the two sides met in the first round of the competition in Algeria, JS Kabylie emerged the winners by inflicting a narrow 1-0 painful defeat on Kotoko, but this time round the 91Porcupine Warriors have sworn to revenge the result.

With two more matches left to be played in the competition, CS Sfaxien of Tunisia lead Group 91A' on nine points followed by Al-Ahly with seven points, whilst Kotoko and JS Kabylie lie third and fourth on four and three points respectively.

In spite of the odds that seem to be against them, Kotoko's head coach, Coach-hene Emmanuel Afranie who also doubles as the Technical Director of Kotoko believes his side is capable of calling the JS Kabylie bluff.

=93I have told my players to put the Al-Ahly defeat behind them since in football you either win or lose=94, he said, adding that now that the team seem to have recovered in time to face the task ahead of them, supporters should remain committed to the Club's cause. Coach Afranie in a post match interview with the GNA Sports after their game against Arsenal last Sunday described his side's victory as a good omen, saying Kotoko would work hard to repeat a similar sterling performance against Kabylie in their match at the week-end.

Whilst admitting that his side would still have to step up their efforts if they are to beat the Algerians, the Kotoko coach said he would approach Sunday's game with caution and will not leave anything to chance.