Amoah returns to rescue Kotoko’s attack
Albert Amoah’s return to Kumasi Asante Kotoko has been greeted with a surge of expectation, as the club and its faithful look to their once-prolific striker to spark an end to a worrying goal drought and breathe fresh life into a faltering campaign.
Last week, Kotoko announced that Amoah had returned to the club for the remainder of the season, insisting his loan move back to the club was “a strategic decision” by Libyan side Al Ahly Benghazi, a move the Porcupine Warriors were well placed to facilitate at a crucial moment of the season.
Regular move
Kotoko’s Communications Director, Samuel Safo Duku, told Kumasi-based Akoma FM that Amoah’s return from the Libyan club was fully in line with modern football practice and was facilitated smoothly due to the strong relationship between all parties.
“I am surprised that many people are describing Albert Amoah’s return as shocking news,” Safo Duku said. “These situations are not unusual in football. A club can sign a player and later decide to release him on loan.
“When Benghazi took that decision, Kotoko was the first option they considered, and we gladly accepted, especially considering Albert’s history and impact at this club.”
The 24-year-old has rejoined the Porcupine Warriors on loan for the rest of the season, barely three months after completing a reported $200,000 transfer to Benghazi.
His return could not have come at a better time, as Kotoko grapple with a worrying goal drought and steps up preparations for the Super Clash against arch-rivals Hearts of Oak in Kumasi on February 15.
Amoah’s pedigree at Kotoko fuels the heightened optimism. Last season, the former Great Olympics striker netted 15 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions and began the current campaign in a similar fashion, scoring four times in seven matches before his move to Libya.
Those numbers, club insiders believe, underline why expectations are high that he will quickly restore Kotoko’s cutting edge.
Despite pocketing a reported $200,000 sign-on fee and earning a lucrative monthly salary at Benghazi, Amoah struggled for opportunities in the oil-rich North African country, failing to make the matchday squad for the opening five games of the Libyan Premier League, despite featuring in pre-season matches. Benghazi, nonetheless, sit top of Group 3 with two wins and three draws.
Scoring Challenge
Back in the Ghana Premier League, Kotoko’s struggles in front of goal have been stark. They have not won a match since the turn of the year and find themselves eight points adrift of leaders Medeama after 19 games.
Successive goalless draws against Berekum Chelsea at home and defending champions Gold Stars in Bibiani, following a shock 1-2 defeat to Swedru All Blacks, have intensified calls for a proven finisher.
Amoah was not registered in time to feature in the stalemate at Bibiani, but there is growing anticipation among Kotoko officials and supporters alike that his return will provide the decisive spark they have been craving.
He is expected to be available for the Matchday 20 encounter against Basake Holy Stars in Kumasi, the subsequent trip to Heart of Lions, and, crucially, the mouth-watering showdown with Hearts of Oak in Kumasi on February 15.
In a further bid to bolster their attacking options, Kotoko also signed 21-year-old striker Dogo Yakubu on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Midcity Football Academy during the January transfer window, which closed at midnight last Thursday.
“This signing is part of our plan for the future,” Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito said. “Dogo is young, hungry and has the qualities we look for in a modern striker. We believe this is the right environment for him to grow, gain confidence and become an important player for the club.”
