|
Kotoko beat JSK 3-1 in Confederation
Cup match
Kumasi, Sept.13, Ghanadot/GNA - Kumasi Asante Kotoko on
Saturday spanked Jeunesse Sportive Kabylie (JSK) of Algeria
3-1 in the third Group B match of the CAF Confederation Cup
match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.
The "Porcupine Warriors" who also pipped El-Merreikh of
Sudan 1-0 on their favourite grounds in the second match and
were pegged at the bottom of the Group would therefore now
move to the top.
It was the visitors who kicked off from the blast of the
Gambian Referee, John Mendy but Kotoko quickly took over
with the first attempt at goal coming from Skipper Emmanuel
Osei Kuffour after he received a perfect pass from Kwadwo
Poku in the fifth minute.
Kotoko continued to fight for the opener but found it
difficult to penetrate through the iron clad packed JSK
defence as they did all to prevent the home side to cause
any havoc.
Kwadwo Poku managed to break through the defence in the
ninth minute but his shot sailed over the bar. In the 14th
minute disaster nearly hit Kotoko when a desperate header
from Prince Opoku nearly entered the net but goalkeeper
Soulama Abdoulaye was alert to stretch to save the
situation.
With the tempo of the game slowing down, veteran midfielder
Stephen Oduro nearly opened the score with a low grounder
but his shot was pushed to corner by goalkeeper Chaouati
Faouzi in the 25th minute and the corner wasted.
Kotoko's top marksman, Eric Bekoe opened the floodgates with
the first goal in the 39th minute when he lobbed the ball
over the head of on-rushing goalkeeper Chaouti with the ball
rolling slowly into the empty net after he beat an off side
trap.
The Kumasi lads continued to pile pressure in search of for
more goals and earned a corner kick in the 45th minute but
Bekoe's header went off target.
JSK who were not all that impressive in the first half
improved on their game plan when the second half resumed but
it was Kotoko who looked more purposeful and went ahead to
score their second goal in the 62nd minute through Jordan
Opoku who connected home a cross from Eric Bekoe from the
left flank against the run of play.
Bekoe should have made it three for Kotoko in the 65th
minute but with only the goalkeeper to beat the striker
surprisingly shot wide after he had received a neat pass
from Oduro.
The JSK players fought hard to redeem their image after
series of forays but the Kotoko defence stood gallantly to
thwart all their efforts.
Kotoko got the third goal in the 71st minute through Bekoe
when Oduro picked on a loose ball and gave a pass to Samuel
Incoom to send in powerful shot from the right flank but the
goalkeeper failed to make a first time save and Eric Bekoe
who was lurking around easily shot into the yawning net with
the keeper sprawling in vain.
JSK managed to reduce the goal tally a minute into the two
minutes of added on time through Maroci Taeib with a header
after goalkeeper Soulama had moved out of lines.
Line up, Kotoko: Soulama Abdoulaye, Emmanuel Osei Kufour,
Samuel Incoom, Nii Adjei, Prince Anokye, Ofosu Appiah, Mark
Sekyere, Jordan Opoku, Stephen Oduro, Eric Bekoe/ Francis
Akwafo, Kwadwo Poku/ Ofosu Amoah.
GNA
|
