Kumasi Asante Kotoko last Saturday dominated the fourth edition of the MTN FA Cup Awards night by winning five out of the 13 prizes at the Banquet Hall of the State House.
Kotoko defender, Abeiku Ainooson, carried the day with the coveted Best Player of the Year and Defender of the Year awards, while the proud champions topped it up with the Highest Scoring Club, Coach of the Year by Didi Dramani and the Fair Play awards to live up to the pre-event predictions.
Ainooson saw off stiff competition from Gold Stars’ Elvis Opoku, Augustine Okrah of Bechem United and fellow teammate, Issah Yakubu, to be crowned the Best Player of the Year. He also beat Joseph Aidoo of Inter Allies, Feyenoord’s Lassana Coulibaly and Emmanuel Akuoku of Aduana Stars to the Defender of the Year prize, to complete the double on the night.
Didi Dramani also won the Coach of the Year award without question after guiding the Porcupine Warriors to their first MTN FA Cup triumph in 13 years after close shaves with Nania FC and Medeama in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
The Highest Scoring Club award from their 17 goals and the Fair Play prize completed Kotoko’s five honours.
The Top Scorer award went to young Elvis Opoku of Gold Stars who finished the competition with seven goals and also won the Best Goal award with a splendid long range freekick against Accra Hearts of Oak in Bibiani.
Inter Allies’ Patrick Kpozo won the Discovery of the Year accolade while his club received a cheque for GH¢15,000 as runners-up, with champions Kotoko receiving GH¢30,000 as their prize.
Sensational Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord’s agile goalie, Theophilus Jackson, won the Goalkeeper of the Year award, beating Inter Allies’ Osei Kwame, Joseph Addo of Kotoko and Benjamin Mensah of New Edubiase.
Seidu Bomison won the Referee of the Year award; Ibrahim Adam was crowned the Assistant Referee of the Year, with Maxwell Hanson, Anafo Nathan and Ashitey Armah being adjudged Promising Referees of the Year.
The event was graced by the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, and the FA president, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, among others.
