Kumasi Asante Kotoko gave signs of what they have in store for the coming football season with a game of tremendous quality against SC Medeama in the Super Cup match, spanking them 3-0 at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The contrast between the two teams was great as Kotoko with a rich combination of old and new signings took total control of the match from beginning to the end.
But, Medeama’s newly recruited keeper, Adade Foli, had a chunk of the blame, gifting Kotoko with two first half goals in the first half in bizarre circumstances.
Twice, he spilled seemingly weak balls in his six yard area and Kotoko punished him on both occasions.
Just under one minute of the game, Michael Helegbe fed Yusif Aziz with a fine pass inside the area but he fluffed the opportunity.
Winning most of the midfield battle, where the workaholic returnee, Jordan Opoku, was excellent, Kotoko kept creating the chances but striker Seidu Bancey and Richard Mpong heading wide in front of goal in the 17th and 23rd minutes respectively.
Kotoko transformed their superior tactical dominance into tangible results after 25 minutes when Bancey shot them in front.
Aziz ran into space on the right and cut the ball into the area. Foli Adade only managed to push the ball in the path of Bancey who finished it off with ease.
The few surges Medeama made into the area saw Kabiru Moro and Hans Kwofie meeting a blockade mounted at the Kotoko rear where the central pair of Kwabena Adusei and former Ebusua Dwarfs defender, Christopher Bonney stood tall.
Medeama cracked for the second time when in the 29th minute Adade Foli, who was an unused sub in the Black Stars team that won 2-1 over the Chipolopolo in Kumasi last Friday, was called into question again.
Once again, he surprisingly failed to make a firm grab of a headed connection to a Helegbe corner kick, and new boy Abeiku Ainooson tapped it home.
The best Medeama could do in the half was to waste two free kicks close to the Kotoko area much to the chagrin of their coach.
It looked like Medeama were resuming from recess with a new approach to the game, trying to work deep into the Kotoko area from the flanks with Bismark Oppong and Akwasi Bonsu in action.
Coach Mas-Ud Dramani brought on former player Yahaya Mohammed to replace Bancey in the 54th minute but he initially had problems getting into shooting range.
It was not until the 69th minute when a golden opportunity was presented him when the ball was swung into his direction with the Medeama back line caught off balance but with only the keeper at his mercy Yahaya shot against the bar.
The strongman however atoned for the miss, when in the 79th minute he rampaged into the Medeama area to thunder his shot into the roof to put the match beyond the reach of Medeama.
The fans favourite, veteran Stephen Oduro was introduced in the 81st minute to replace Aziz and his marked his return to Kotoko with some typical telepathic passes much to the admiration of the Kotoko supporters.
Relying on the awful amount space provided them in the middle Kotoko took advantage to surge forward probing for goals but no more could come until the brilliant referee John Atikese ended the game.
By Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana
