Kotoko through in bizarre scenes
Kotoko through in bizarre scenes
Posted: 2008-07-27 20:44
Kumasi Asante Kotoko reached the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup after a thrilling 3-1 win over Libya's Al-Ittihad, but what should have been a celebration of a high quality game will be remembered for bizarre scenes after the match.
Striker Eric Bekoe scored a brace, including the crucial third two minutes from time, to send the Porcupine Warriors through on a 4-3 aggregate.
But the moment Tunisian referee Hamila Amouri blew his whistle to end the game, angry Libyan players besieged the officials, with scuffles breaking out between some Libyan players and Ghanaian policemen, who were looking to escort the match officials off the pitch.
The scuffles were embarrassing, with policemen and players shoving each other. But they were nothing like several Ghanaian policemen chasing down Ittihad's Arafa Alkuaa after he had allegedly hit a player.
The shameful incident took the shine off a game you couldn't take yours eyes off.
Ittihad had dropped into the CAF Confederation Cup after failing to make the group stages of the CAF Champions League and the quality showed against Kotoko, who have had many famous afternoons in Africa at the Baba Yara Stadium.
For the fans, this will go down as one of them.
They know how to create an atmosphere in Kumasi and not even the rains that had threatened a postponement of this game could dampen their spirits. Their team also took off in fabulous style.
After losing the first leg 2-1, Kotoko were in front on the away goals rule after seven minutes through their star man Bekoe.
Jordan Opoku threaded the ball through the Libya backline, who stood waiting for an offside flag. It never went up, but Bekoe still had work to do. He did it well, squeezing the ball home from a tight angle beyond Samal Abdul.
The Libyans complained bitterly about an offside and they looked to have a case on the replay. But their best response came on the pitch.
Mohammed Zubya and Mohammed Esna combined beautifully from a free-kick, but Kotoko goalkeeper Soulama pulled off a smart save two minutes after the goal. Zubya then worked his way into a good position, only to drill his shot wide.
It wasn't until the 61st minute that Kotoko scored a second.
Daniel Nii Adjei won the ball off Ahmed Zuway, before playing in Kwabena Yaro. He laid the ball back to Nii Adjei, who dummied to create space for Jordan Opoku in the box. His well-struck shot gave Kotoko the breather they needed, but the Libyans fought back.
Substitute Pierre Coulibaly had had a goal disallowed in controversial style before Kotoko's second, but this time he got it spot on. Riyadh Alafi flighted the ball into the box and Coulibaly found space with a diving header to score with four minutes remaining.
The silence in the stadium and the fans refusal to respond to an over enthusiastic cheer leader, urging them to cheer lauder, told its own story. The game was heading for penalties and many of the fans, who had seen their side lose many times via that route, did not want it.
Ironically it was a penalty that clinched it for them. Alaafi stuck out a hand as Kwabena Yaro flicked the ball in the penalty box. The referee was well sighted and significantly, for the first time in the day, the Libyan players did not protest.
Up stepped Bekoe, Kotoko's undisputed star of the current season. Without three key players, the Black Stars striker needed to lead from the front and the penalty allowed him to put what would have been memories of a poor afternoon to bed.
With 40 000 hearts in their mouths, he stepped up to calmly smack the ball to the right, while Samal Abdul had moved the other way.
The crowd this time responded to the cheer leader over the public address system, thrilled that African club football will return to Kumasi again this year.
What the neutrals will hope is that when it does, referees, their assistants and temperamental players will not steal the headlines.
: 2011-01-02 02:11
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