Expectations are high ahead of the friendlies between giants Hearts and Kotoko. The first leg is in on Sunday in Kumasi.
Eric Donkor and Michael Anaba are part of the current overhauling going on in Kotoko before the season begins. Acquired from Windy Professionals in Division One, the duo has been speaking up their chances at their new home.
Michael Anaba is an offensive midfielder whose exploits in last season´s FA Cup endeared him to a lot of clubs. He was a nominee for Most Promising Player in the competition and he points ex-Red Samuel Inkoom as his motivation.
“As a former team mate at Windy Professionals with Samuel Inkoom, his success at Kotoko gives me so much hope that with determination and a tough mentality, I will be able to make it big at Kotoko”
Anaba also believes Kotoko is a giant step in his career, describing it as a “springboard” upon which he would be catapulted into the international football arena.
“These successes will not come on a silver platter so I am ready and willing to work hard to achieve that. I will also count on the heavy presence of Kotoko supporters at matches and training to catapult myself high up,” he said.
Eric Donkor, a lateral defender, spoke of his mission of securing the position which he believes has been a problem for the team.
“Since the unfortunate and sad injury to Gideon Baah, Kotoko has struggled to get a permanent and naturally footed replacement to fill the gap and so my target is to take the position and move on to win laurels”
Donkor played for rivals Hearts of Oak on a half-season loan in the 2009/10 season and he is already marking out the differences in the two setups.
“This reception and feeling is the perfect setting for the achievement of success. I played on loan for a half a season in the 2009/10 season for Hearts and I can say that the feeling I am having here at Kotoko is very different and genuine”.
Expectations Anaba is aware of the pressures that exist in a big club like Kotoko, who have increasingly relied on Ahmed Toure for goals. He insists that if the initial reception is anything to go buy, he should be delivering the goods soon.
“It is early days yet for me to make a general conclusion on the fulfillment of the expectations I came to Kotoko with. However, I can tell you of the high sense of professionalism I have seen at play in Kotoko. I like the way I have been received into the team by both club officials and especially the senior playing colleagues”.
Donkor, who is one of three players competing for the same slot, has identified his strengths and reiterated the need for teamwork if he is to meet his ambitions at the club.
“I love competition and will compete to win. I have also seen that the club has recruited two others for the same position and so it is going to be a matter of purely competing for the left-back slot.”
“Much as I have my eyes fully set on achieving successes at Kotoko, it much also be emphasized that our success as a team will hinge purely on our collective aspiration to succeed as players and also getting the full support of the fans”.
Kotoko are expected to be led in the dugout by new boss Maxwell Konadu.
Twitter: @garyalsmith
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