Big bonus for Kotoko players ; To eliminate Algerian side

The management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko has announced a qualification bonus of $600 per player if the team is able to surmount the Moludia Club d’El Eulma of Algeria hurdle in the CAF Champion League 1/16th stage second leg at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.

The qualifying bonus is one of several incentve packages the Kotoko management has instituted to motivate the team to qualify for the group phase or “money zone” of the competition.  It represents 67 per cent increment over the previous bonus of $400 per player.

Coach David Duncan’s charges were expected to move into residential camping yesterday ahead of the arrival in Accra tomorrow of their Algerian opponents, who are due to travel to Kumasi by road.

Duncan is relying heavily on Kotoko’s pedigree in African competitions as a psychological trump card to carry the day.

He told a pre-match press conference in Kumasi yesterday that he would adopt an attack-oriented strategy on Sunday and promised to present a strong squad to battle the Algerians after a first leg 0-0 drawn game.

“We will try as much as possible to impose ourselves on the game. My first objective is to keep a clean sheet and to go for the goals,” a confident Coach Duncan said.

That notwithstanding, the coach said he was optimistically cautious as he employs all his arsenals, including practising penalty shoot outs in the unlikely event the match would be decided through the lottery of penalties.

Kotoko’s arrowhead, Ahmed Toure, said the team was not under any pressure to deliver adding that “Sunday’s match is just like any other match.”

Meanwhile, a Kumasi-based pharmaceutical company, Indus Life Science Private Limited, has presented assorted drugs valued at GH¢1,000 to the playing body.

The CEO of the company, Jeffery Okyere Darko, presented 30 tubes of Capsito gel, 30 pieces of Zincovit tablets, 20 boxes of Iced bags and 25 pieces of branded Polo caps.