Soulama’s agony, the tears, and Hearts’ sad moment
Is this another Michael Osei magic, or sheer luck? In my five decades experience in sports writing, never have I seen Accra Hearts of Oak lose to Kumasi Asante Kotoko in such bizarre manner as was the case last Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
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It looked like a dream and of course, many saw it as one of the impossibilities in the game of football. It has happened to many renowned goalkeepers before, but this is our time to acknowledge it.
It was Match Day 10 of the Ghana Premier League and Kotoko entered the stadium full of energy just to prevent their arch rivals from winning the first leg of their two eagerly anticipated matches, while the home team could only exhibit a lot of nerves from the goalkeeper to the last man.
And if there was anything like winning mentality, Hearts had a lion's share but fluffed all their chances to the disappointment of their teeming fans who were eventually silenced by one of the, cheapest, goals in the annals of the game. I could not believe my eyes looking at the easy manner Hearts goalkeeper, Abdoulaye Soulama, a soldier, miskicking from a harmless back pass and allowing the ball to enter his net in the full glare of over 35,000 football fans.
Kotoko were initially ahead of their opponents in terms of possession, but failed to threaten the Hearts defence while the Phobians, perhaps, for lack of experience, showed so much mercy in front of the Kotoko goal, missing several opportunities.
Honestly, it will take a lot of hard work for Soulama to overcome the trauma and the sort of heavy load he carried on the day, that is after the three-match ban. Maybe, it will take some time for Hearts’ followers to find out why they have lost many of the matches to Kotoko in the past six years, not even when they were very sure of a born-again team that could turn the tide this year. How come the team which lost their bearing in a match against the unsung New Edubiase United in Kumasi the previous week could rise up against the opponents who had entered Obuasi Len Clay Stadium and disciplined Ashantigold?
Was it sheer complacency as Hearts thought their victory was sealed, looking at Kotoko's current standard, losing to teams such as WAFA, Aduana Stars, New Edubiase among others. Obviously, Hearts Japanese-American coach, Kenichi Yatsuhashi, must be the most disappointed man, and the way he praised his team and blamed his loss on luck could be understood. It must be a strong indication that Hearts will go back to the boardroom to review the match and see what went wrong and to map out the way forward. Kenichi is yet to receive any positive answer to his demand for higher remuneration which hinged on the outcome of the last Monday's match. In other words, Kotoko poured sand into the coach's food.
On the other hand, can we say Kotoko coach Michael Osei did satisfy his employers with this unique victory to help him secure approval for the substantive position as full-time coach? These are interesting expectant scenarios in both camps, but there are so many question marks in both teams with Kotoko showing striking disability after a good build-up from the defence through to the midfield, and Hearts lacking that ability to put the ball into the net to satisfy the observers and the examiners.
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My good friend Aziz Haruna Futa must be the saddest man as his team lost in that manner, with all the clear chances for Hearts to equalise went astray. What he told me was that all was not lost yet. He, like coach Kenichi, believed in the character of the Hearts team and has appealed to Soulama to wipe off his tears and be resolute to lead the team to more victories ahead. They recalled the defeat at the hands of Wa All Stars and wondered how the Wa-based team could not survive against Medeama in their last match.
Yes, that is the nature of football, and one interesting permutation is that Hearts are going to face Berekum Chelsea who in their latest outing lost to the same New Edubiase who exposed Kotoko before their match in Accra. I don't really know whether losing to New Edubiase in recent times could serve as a special pill for a clash with Hearts. And in all respects, can we say Hearts are going to lose twice on the trot under coach Kenichi? I have my doubt.