Asante Kotoko faced off against regional rivals Nations FC on Sunday in matchday 6 of the Bet Pawa Premier League at the Dr. Kwame Kyei sports stadium in Abrankese, Kumasi.
The newly promoted club’s attacke, Amadou Diarra scored a penalty deep into additional time to seal a dramatic draw in the encounter.
The first forty-five minutes ended in a goalless draw, as the two teams failed to utilize the numerous chances they created.
The privately owned stadium hosted the inaugural meeting between these two clubs.
Six minutes after recess, midfielder Amidou Diarra gave Nations FC the lead, giving the home team the upper hand but Kalo Ouattara and Kyei Dwamena scored twice as Kotoko quickly took the lead in the 86th and 91st minute respectively.
Late in the game, Amadou Diarra tied the score with a penalty kick in the 104th minute, which infuriated Kotoko players and especially supporters.
Speaking after the game, Nations FC coach Ocansey Mingle expressed discontentment with the results.
“I am very sad because we should have won the game hands down. Our boys lost concentration and they punished us…but it’s football so we will take it.”
“If such an incident had not happened we could have added another one to it. It is unfortunate from the first half, how the goal that they scored, which is the second goal the linesman waved, he brought the flag down again.”
“So immediately, he waved the boys and they kicked the ball into the net. But it is football, we take it and go to work for our next match ” he concluded.
However, angry Kotoko supporters destroyed the seats and threw objects onto the field during the game as a form of hooliganism in protest of the contentious penalty call.
In the wake of the disturbance, Nations FC’s bank roller, Dr. Kwame Kyei, has issued a strong call for peace and unity following recent unrest at the Dr. Kyei Sports Complex.
“We will replace the damaged chairs at the stadium because the stadium is also for Asante Kotoko and Asanteman.”
“What happened was unfortunate and we must condemn it because we need Asanteman and Ghana to develop. Let us hope that what we saw yesterday will not happen again because we don’t want to experience another May 9 in Ghana football again,” the former Asante Kotoko board chairman Dr. Kwame Kyei added.
Nations FC currently sits in the 14th position on the Ghana Premier League summit with 5 points with an outstanding game with defending champions, Medeama SC.
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Story by: Asack Pius | univers.ug.edu.gh
