While Asante Kotoko have tactical problems to solve, they have one good thing from win against RTU to build upon
Asante Kotoko have struggled this season after suffering early exit of the MTN FA Cup, and CAF Champions League following penalties elimination by Burkina Faso side RC Kadiogo at Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
With that said, it looks like the Reds will find it difficult to defend their Ghana Premier League title despite thrashing RTU 4-0 Sunday evening to announce a new challenge for the title. Though they have off the pitch incidences that might have affected the team, undoubtedly tactical problems on the pitch are somehow responsible for Kotoko’s poor form this term.
Last season, former boss Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum addressed on the pitch tactical problems very well that arguably fired Asante Kotoko to the Ghana Premier League glory. Unfortunately, Narteh left Kotoko at the end of the season while a couple of stars, Fabio Gama, Imoro Ibrahim and club top scorer Franck Thierry Etouga Mbella also departed spoiling the formation and rhythm on the pitch.
Seydou Zerbo who has parted company with Asante Kotoko last Monday was named the next boss and the Burkina Faso manager was gradually getting the right things done on the pitch before his job turned sour along the line.
Zerbo was gradually developing a clear understanding of his team, getting selection and placement of players, movement, passing, shadowing, closing down spaces right, and was on the verge on improving the club on man-making, final decision and goal-scoring.
Even improvement on final decision and goal-scorirng had started to reflect with Eric Serge Zeze proving the through balls while Steven Dese Mukwala had began scoring.
In later part of Zerbo’s sacking, Asante Kotoko on the pitch tactical problems highlighted above started to show again. In a very dominant performance against Real Tamale United in Sunday late kickoff, there appear solutions to the problems or problems begin to fade off leading to the 4-0 thrashing of RTU in Kumasi.
In just one game, it cannot be concluded that Kotoko’s tactical problems have finally be resolved, and at least they need to be consistent in games with what they did against RTU to make positive final conclusions.
Theory, while it can be said that on the pitch problems still exit, there was evidence for one positive new establishment that was a perfect connect between Steven Mukwala and new striker Matheus Medeiros de Souza with both finding back of the next against RTU.
The Brazilian made his debut against Legon Cities and showed better second half performance. He continued from where he left against Legon Cities and grabbed a fashionable debut goal for the Reds against RTU.
Mukwala and Medeiros have both played together once so far and have established a great understanding between themselves. The partnership worked to perfection against RTU with the Ugandan scoring a brace while the Brazilian nets his first goal in the partnership but all goals were not directly infected by either Mukwala or Medeiros.
Given the nature of movement and creating of spaces for each other between themselves, the two pair can only be deadly in time. The club need to acknowledge that and make it more work. It has been so long Kotoko unleashed two first choice center forwards in a single game with and sometimes, some attempts have failed to flourish like Mukwala and Medeiros pair.
The club is in search for a new manager as they have been linked with Akwesi Appiah, CK Akonnor, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum and Samuel Boadu and there is also a possibility for interim boss Abdulai Gazale to named head coach.
Whoever is appointed permanently, Mukwala and Medeiros partnership that has been established in midst of their tactical problems must to be kept and worked on for its height.
