The Cameroonian striker sat out of Kotoko’s training on Thursday as the other players fine tuned but he made a return on Friday ahead of the game against the debutants on Sunday
Asante Kotoko players returned to full training on Friday afternoon after sharing the spoils goalless with Bechem United on matchday nineteen of Ghana Premier at Bechem on Tuesday.
Although, in-form striker Etuoga Mbella Etouga failed to participate in the training session on Thursday due to fatigue, the 20-year-old made a return to training on Friday to join his teammates in preparation for the game on Sunday as Kotoko look forward for their first win in March.
Etouga suffered a terrible attack by Bechem defender Samuel Osei Kuffour as he was stamped on the shoulder.
Although, the incident happened on the blind side of the referees, it was captured on television. As a result, Osei Kuffour has been charged by Ghana Football Association for misconduct and could face at least a three-game ban.
Watch Kotoko’s training session
Etouga currently lead the Ghana Premier League topscorer’s chart with 13 goals, one goal better than Aduana Stars striker Bright Agyei.
Also, youngster Isaac Oppong could not make it to the training due to injury concerns. Although, he recently returned from injury layoff and played against Hearts of Oak in the league, he is yet to play another game.
Again, Solomon Sarfo Taylor missed the training as the striker is currently in Spain. According to reports in the local media, Taylor is finalising his paperwork for an possible transfer to a lower division side in Europe.
Once again, Clinton Opoku was excused from the training due to ill health as he is yet to recover from an injury he sustained a couple of weeks ago.
However, midfielder Stephen Amankonah who has been recently in the news for the bad reasons was spotted at the training ground. Reports suggest Amankonah is looking for a way out of the club and has failed to make Kotoko’s matchday squad for their last three games.
Should his services be needed, the former Berekum Chelsea forward could called upon on Sunday.
Young left back Charles Owusu who picked up a head injury against Dreams FC a fortnight ago, as well as striker Andy Kumi, made a return to training but it is most likely they will not be named in the matchday squad.
Asante Kotoko lead Ghana Premier League log with 41 points after 19 games.
The Porcupine Warriors will have to face their regional rivals this weekend without four key players
Asante Kotoko will play Ashanti Gold on matchday twelve of Ghana Premier League at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Sunday without four key players due to several reasons beyond the technical team.
Brazilian midfielder Fabio Gama and youngster Isaac Oppong missed the trip to Dormaa Ahenkro last weekend due to injury concerns and they are expected to once again sit out of the game. The duo could not recover fully to have full session of training with the first team.
Also, Clinton Opoku and Richmond Lamptey will be missed due to injury and suspension respectively. Lamptey has been ruled out of the game after picking three yellow cards this season.
The in-form midfielder’s absence will hugely affect Kotoko’s setup as coach Prosper Ogum Narteh must find a replacement who can flow with the Richard Boadu ‘Agadas’ and Mudasiru Salifu’s style of play.
Ashanti Gold come into the game on back of home defeat last weekend against Medeama and coach Thomas Duah is hoping to get a reaction from his players.
Midfielder Seth Osei has already thrown a word of caution to Kotoko ahead of the game, insisting that they would shock the league leaders on Sunday.
“This is a game we can’t afford to lose,” Osei said.
“We have had some terrible scorelines over the past few weeks but we believe that we can overcome the setbacks and return to winning ways against Kotoko.
“This is a derby game and the side which fully prepare and take the few chances that come their way will eventually end as the winners,” he added.
AshesGyamera understands that goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim will start the game ahead of Razak Abalora barring any last minute injury since Prosper Ogum Narteh was impressed with his performance against Aduana and would not want to change a winning team.
Kotoko top the league log with 23 points while Ashanti Gold are occupying 14th position with 12 points.
The Porcupine Warriors would be hoping to return to winning ways against RTU but they must do without five of their players
Asante Kotoko will be without five key players in Ghana Premier League matchday seven fixture against Real Tamale United at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Wednesday.
Midfielder Mudasiru Salifu will play no part of the game after starting all the first six games so far their season. The defensive midfielder has picked up three yellow cards which rules him out of the game due to accumulated cards.
Also, striker Samuel Boateng has been ruled out of the game due to injury concerns. The young striker, who has scored two goals so far this season, failed to pass a late fitness test after picking up a knee injury at training.
Also, young prodigy Isaac Oppong and defender Andrew Appau are also going to play no part of the game.
Meanwhile, striker Andy Kumi will be missing the game also since he is yet to recover from an injury he picked up before the start of the season.
Kotoko are yet to pick a win after sharing the spoils goalless with Karela United and losing 3-2 in the Kumasi derby against King Faisal.
They currently sit third on the log with 13 points, three points behind King Faisal who also play Accra Lions at the Red Bull Arena in Sogakope.
The youngster hopes that he will continue his good run of form after scoring the winner against Eleven Wonders
Asante Kotoko youngster Isaac Oppong is enjoying a purple patch of form after joining the Porcupine Warriors this season from Bectaro Sasana.
The 18-year-old has scored three goals and assisted two after four games which has drawn a lot of praise especially from Kotoko’s supporters and legends.
However, Oppong insists that it has not added any pressure to his game and feels he is even yet to explode.
βPlease no, it does not give me any pressure, Yes [you will see more of me this season],” Oppong told the StarTimes after the game.
“I see that [my game] is good and I will like to thank my teammates and coach. They are helping me.
βThe training I had during my formative years and when I came to Kotoko the coach [ Prosper Narteh Ogum] is helping me and he teaches me how to score and that is the reason [for my good performance] at the moment. I hope it continues,” he added.
Kotoko have picked four wins out of four games and now lead the log with twelve points, three points more than King Faisal who stay second on the log.
Asante Kotoko have made it three wins out of three in Ghana Premier League under new coach Prosper Ogum Narteh. The Porcupine Warriors are gradually confirming why they are title contenders despite some doubters initially writing them off but what were some of the lessons picked from the cagey encounter at the Dun’s Park in Bibiani on Friday?
AshesGyamera.com’s editor-in-chief, Evans Gyamera-Antwi, has highlighted five major talking points from the game.
Isaac Oppong is the new jewelry
Unlike Stephen Amankonah who has failed to live up to the expectations so far, youngster Isaac Oppong’s performance is in stark contrast to his counterpart further north. Sunyani Neymar, as he is affectionately called by a section of the supporters, has enjoyed a dream start since arriving at Kotoko from third-tier side Bectaro Sasana in Sunyani.
The 18-year-old has been directly involved in five of the six goals scored by Kotoko after three games. He has scored two goals including the winner against Gold Stars on Friday and provided three assists.
Isaac Oppong Neymar's goal for Asante Kotoko against Gold Stars at Bibiani in Ghana Premier League pic.twitter.com/5BwLgRx6wT
When he was handed a start in the away game against Gold Stars, many thought he may struggle but he proved doubters wrong. If Felix Afena-Gyan can be given a call up to Ghana’s senior national team for playing only two games for AS Roma in Serie A, Oppong deserves same. He is a cash cow for Kotoko now then never and needs guidance as well as protections.
Gold Stars have quality to stay up
Although, the debutants lost narrowly to Kotoko at home, it wouldn’t be a surprise to this writer and many people, who watched the game if Gold Stars avoid relegation after the season. The Bibiani-based side have quality and only need to bury the few chances they get especially against the cathedrals of Ghana Premier League.
They bossed the midfield against Kotoko and caused a lot of troubles to the visitors backline. It is now not a surprise that they defeated Berekum Chelsea on opening day and shared the spoils with Medeama away.
Michael Osei is really building one of the fanciest sides in the league and apart from Kotoko and Hearts who may bully their way through in Bibiani, the rest of the clubs may not leave Sefwi with even a point.
Beside, the 25 per cent stadium capacity to be filled by supporters due to Covid-19 protocols doesn’t work in Bibiani – at least we’ve seen the games vs. Chelsea and Kotoko. Therefore, the huge spectatorship during home games will be enough to intimidate away teams since the fans are very close to the action in the facility.
Appau & Agyemang show Mubarik how it is done
Kotoko were not in pitiful shape without their captain Abdul Ganiu Ismail who is on international duties with Ghana. It all amounted to the fact that defender Yussif Mubarik who struggled against Bechem was dropped and Andrew Appau as well as Maxwell Agyemang were handed their debut game of the season.
2- Kotoko's victory over Gold Stars in Bibiani means the Porcupines have won their first two away games for the first time since May 2016, where they won 3 games on the bounce (1-0 v Dreams, 1-0 v Hearts,1-0 v Bechem)
The duo redeemed themselves and proved that Mubarik’s farcical getaways may not be tolerated by Ogum again as he has been leaning so heavily on Ganiu’s talents to cover his blushes. Kotoko never missed Ganiu nor his partner Mubarik against Gold Stars, as the new pair in central defence showed beyond a doubt how far their individual magnificence papers over the cracks.
Also, Richard Boadu ‘Agadas’ was superb in defensive midfield role. Mudasiru Salifu had been playing this position and although he was struggling, Ogum was adamant to the calls from supporters for a change of roles but when he adhered to the growing concerns, Kotoko had some stability in midfield against Gold Stars. It helped them to grind results from an unfavourable position.
Kotoko must score early goals in games
Prosper Ogum Narteh’s side is getting all the praises for winning their first three games of the season, however, they need to improve in their goal scoring records. According to those who believe in numerology, Kotoko have won their first three games of the season just like they did in 2013/14 where they went on to win the league title.
3- The last time Asante Kotoko won their first 3 matches in Ghana Premier League until today was in 2013/14 season.
They went on to win the league title and @AugustineOkrah1 won the Best player & Goal King.
That season, their midfielder Augustine Okrah had just left the club to join Bechem United and the same thing has happened this time around. Okrah left Kotoko in July and has signed for Bechem.
In spite of this, Kotoko must improve their goal scoring records as they have struggled to hit the back of the net in first halves of the games played so far.
All the six goals scored this season have been after the break and it means that should any club score first against Kotoko, they may struggle to equalise and further win the game.
From Villain to Hero
Razak Abalora came under a lot of criticisms, especially during the dying embers of last season as he conceded some ‘cheap’ goals.
He was constantly criticised by the club’s supporters because a section of them felt he was not good enough to replace former captain Felix Annan. The troubles at club side ate deep into the young shot-stopper and affected his performance at national level. In the end, Abalora lost his place in Ghana’s squad.
However, he has been one of the most important players this season for Kotoko. Abalora has made some crucial saves especially the last ditch effort from Gold Stars striker Prince Adu to win the day for Kotoko. It is not surprising that he has two clean sheets after three games and supporters are beginning to accept him as their own.
The next home game against Techiman Eleven Wonders at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium will prove whether Kotoko can continue with their incredible start or it was just a nine-day wonder.
The Porcupine Warriors have made it three wins out of three as they strengthen their lead on top of the league log
Asante Kotoko defeated Bibiani Gold Stars 1-0 on matchday three of Ghana Premier League at the Dun’s Park in Bibiani on Friday.
Despite struggling to defeat Bechem United five days ago, the Porcupine Warriors laboured once again to pick another priceless win at a venue they were making their first appearance.
Kotoko coach Prosper Ogum Narteh made four changes in the squad that defeated Bechem United 2-0 last weekend.
Abdul Ganiu Ismail missed the game since he is on international duties with Ghana and his place was given to Andre Appau while Maxwell Agyemang took over from Mubarik Yussif.
Stephen Amankonah was also dropped while Richard Boadu ‘Agadas’ made his debut start for Kotoko in midfield to partner Mudasiru Salifu and Richmond Lamptey while Fabio Gama partnered youngster Isaac Oppong Neymar and Samuel Boateng upfront.
After both side struggled to create clear cut chances, Gold Stars had an opportunity to open the scoring but Kingsford Boafo’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Razak Abalora.
After the break, Kotoko pushed men forward for the opener with Boateng and Oppong causing troubles.
On 55th minute, Kotoko finally found an opening. Oppong capitalised on a lose ball and calmly slotted in the ball beyond the reach of Gold Stars goalkeeper
Isaac Oppong Neymar's goal for Asante Kotoko against Gold Stars at Bibiani in Ghana Premier League pic.twitter.com/5BwLgRx6wT
Deep in additional time, Gold Stars had the best of opportunities to level the scoring. However striker Prince Owusu fluffed the chance to break the hearts of the vociferous home supporters.
Kotoko have now opened up a three point lead following the win as the rest of the matchday games will be played on Saturday and Sunday.
The Porcupine Warriors rallied from a goal down to win against Dreams FC on opening day of the season and the supporters could not hold back their appreciation to the man behind it
Asante Kotoko whiz kid Isaac Oppong was given a preferential treatment on Sunday when they defeated Dreams FC 3-1 on opening day of 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season.
The 18-year-old marked his debut game with Kotoko as a second half substitute and spent only sixteen minutes on the field.
However, he instantly made his appearance felt and got the whole stadium talking about his talent. He first set up Samuel Boateng to find the back of the net only for referee Yao Bless to rule it out.
With Kotoko still trailing Dreams 1-0 thanks to Abdul Fatawu Issahaku’s goal, Oppong assisted Mudasiru Salifu to score the equaliser by the 86th minute.
The youngster then sent Kotoko in front with a powerful shot three minutes later to set the stadium buzzing.
Deep in additional time, Oppong went past his marker to set up Richmond Lamptey, who scored the third and final goal of the day to secure Kotoko all the points at stake.
After the game, a lot of the supporters waited to show appreciation to the young man and threw several hundreds of cedis over the inner perimeter to him.
— π΅π°π±ππ»πΎππ πΊππ΄πΊπ πππ΄π πΈπ΄π¦ (@Owura4ever) November 2, 2021
Oppong, who is an ambidextrous forward and has been highly rated by many soccer pundits as one of the few youngsters to take Ghana Premier League by storm, scored 22 league goals for Bectaro Sasana last season after making 15 appearances in Brong Ahafo Division Two League.
He is expected to start when Kotoko host league leaders Bechem United in their first home game of the season at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The youngster will be unveiled as the Porcupine Warriors latest acquisition after his exploits caught the eye of the club’s scout in Brong Ahafo region
Asante Kotoko sealed a long term deal with youngster Isaac Oppong from third-tier side Bectaro Sasana, AshesGyamera.com can confirm.
The 18-year-old, who has been on the radar of many top clubs, after he scored 22 league goals for Bectaro last season in 15 appearances is currently in Kumasi.
— Asante Kotoko Breaking News(AK-0002430) (@AKBN1935) September 26, 2021
Oppong, an ambidextrous forward, is highly rated by many soccer pundits as one of the few youngsters who will take the Ghana Premier League by storm in the coming years.
In June, Oppong scored a hat-trick against Soccer Intelligence in the league and went on to bang in several goals
Oppong becomes the latest arrival at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium after Clinton Opoku, Richard Boadu, Samuel Boateng, Maxwell Agyemang, and Richmond Lamptey.
The youngster has sealed a deal with the Porcupine Warriors after his exploits caught the eye of the club’s scout in Brong Ahafo region
Asante Kotoko have signed youngster Isaac Oppong from third-tier side Bectaro Sasana in a four-year deal, AshesGyamera.com can confirm.
The 18-year-old scored 22 league goals for Bectaro last season after making 15 appearances but his efforts could not push the club to qualify to play in the final of Brong Ahafo Division Two Middle League after they lost the sub-middle league semifinals 1-0 to Delsamaco FC.
Oppong, an ambidextrous forward, is highly rated by many soccer pundits as one of the few youngsters who will take the Ghana Premier League by storm in the coming years.
In June, Oppong scored a hat-trick against Soccer Intelligence in the league and went on to bang in several goals
Oppong becomes the latest arrival at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium after Clinton Opoku, Richard Boadu, Samuel Boateng, Maxwell Agyemang, and Richmond Lamptey. Β
AshesGyamera understands that Asante Kotoko will make an official unveiling of his arrival together with other players this week
Asante Kotoko will open their season with a trip to Dawu to face Dreams FC before they host Bechem United at home the following weekend.
