Embarrassing Jagodina want rematch?

After putting up an embarrassing show against Kumasi Asante Kokoto at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi last Sunday, Serbian premier side, Jagodina, have thrown a challenge to the Porcupine Warriors for a return leg in Serbia to redeem their image.

The visitors were thrashed 5-0 at the Baba Yara Stadium to mark Kotoko’s 80th anniversary celebration.

But the coach of Jagodina, Vladimir Milanovic, said the team did not travel with their core squad and, therefore, Sunday’s match could not be used to assess the club.

Only 11 out of their 25 players scheduled to travel secured seats on the flight in Istanbul to Accra and also arrived to realise that their luggage were not on the flight.  

Subsequently, the organisers, Pacific Football Ghana Limited, had to hurriedly mobilise the needed equipment, as well as beef up the squad with some local players.

He said, the psychological trauma the players went through against the backdrop that the team arrived just 14 hours to kick off, coupled with the harsh hamarttan condition, made it impossible for them to give of their best.

As a result, the two teams together with the organisers, had begun negotiation to actualise the return leg on any of the free dates on the FA’s calendar.

The discussions, which took place hours before the departure of the team, also touched on exchange of technical opportunities (opportunities for Kotoko players) and having a sister relationship between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the city of Jagodina.

During the match last Sunday, Theophilus Nyame (12th minute), skipper Amos Frimpong (15th minute), Eric Donkor (32nd&58th) and Dauda Mohammed (61st) scored for Kotoko to lift the anniversary trophy. 

Jagodina were a last-minute substitute after the planned games against Greece side, Veria FC, on December 28, 2015 and Romanian giants, FC Petrolul Ploiesti, in November 2015, fell through.

The match was Kotoko’s first European international friendly in 35 years in Kumasi and the third for the club after English side, Stoke City, in the 1960s, and Germany’s Bayern Leverkusen in 1981, which Kotoko won by a lone goal.

Line up (Kotoko): Felix Annan, Amos Frimpong, Edwin Tuffour, Osei Richard, Ahmed Adams, Theophilus Nyame, Sarfo Gyamfi, Owusu Jackson, Obed Owusu, Dauda Mohammed, Eric Donkor.