Party spoilers and regional rivals, Ashantigold, made sure the 79th anniversary celebration of Kumasi Asante Kotoko went almost unnoticed after beating the Porcupine Warriors by a lone goal in the GHALCA Top 4 competition at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
The architect of that painful moment was Francis Adjei, whose perfect strike in the 53rd minute after several missed opportunities, was a perfect opener to the competition which has been off the country's football calendar since 2010 due to lack of funds.
Indeed, it would have been a 'miscarriage of justice' if the Miners had lost because they benefitted most from the exchanges.
Kotoko's new signing from Cote d’Ivoire, Mamadou Kone, broke loose on the fourth minute but he appeared too sluggish to deliver the knockout punch. That missed chance, however, was the trigger that got both sides out to raise their performance with end to end display after a cautious start.
The visiting side wasted a number of scoring opportunities, including begging chances in the 20th minute by Anthony Yerful, who headed off target with only Kotoko’s goalkeeper Joseph Addo to beat, much to the chagrin of the few Ashgold fans.
And 16 minutes later Joseph Ato Bissah's pile driver brought out the best in goalkeeper Addo, whose agility saved Kotoko from an early goal.
But he could not stop the Obuasi side from earning the bragging rights when Adjei settled the game with the winning goal.
