ASANTE Kotoko kicked off their Premier League campaign in style last Saturday,edging Berekum Chelsea 1-0 at the Golden City Park to end a 15-year winless run in Berekum.
Forward,Albert Amoah, was the hero of the afternoon,pouncing on a loose ball midway through the second half and drilling a low strike past goalkeeper, Emmanuel Adu,to hand the Porcupine Warriors a historic victory.
15-year jinx
The win was Kotoko’sfirst away triumph against Chelsea since 2010,breaking a jinx that had become a psychological hurdle for the Porcupine Warriors.
Chelsea under coach, Samuel Boadu,had gone into the fixture confident of extending their dominance at home against Kotoko.
They enjoyed decent spells of possession but struggled to break down the visitors’resolute and disciplined backline.
The Porcupine Warriors defended with grit,keeping their shape and restricting Chelsea to half-chances.
The hosts pushed forward late on in search of an equaliser, but poor finishing and Kotoko’s defensive composure ensured the scoreline remainedb unchanged.
Kotoko head coach Abdul-Karim Zito,who will be guiding Kotoko in both domestic and continental competitions,will view this win as a timely morale booster ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round clash with Nigeria’s Kwara United on September 21.
For Chelsea,the setback at home will sting,but they will need to regroup quickly as they travel to face newlypromoted Swedru All Blacks in their next league fixture.
