Aduana petition GFA to adjust club’s fixtures
League champions, Aduana Stars, have petitioned the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to adjust their Premier League fixtures to aid their CAF Champions League campaign.
The Chief Executive Officer of Aduana, Albert Commey, told the Graphic Sports last Monday that his outfit had requested the Premier League Board (PLB) to allow them to play their league games on Fridays to enable them to prepare adequately for their continental engagements.
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With the top flight league set to commence on Saturday, Aduana Stars will be engaged in both competitions as they defend their league title, as well as seek to make an impact in the CAF Champions League.
"We are aware of the intensity of playing in the Premier League and the Champions League this season so we have written to the GFA to have our fixtures adjusted to help in our continental campaign.
"It will be great to have our matches played on Fridays so we can prepare adequately and have enough rest for the Champions League games once the league kicks off," he said.
Many Ghanaian clubs that had competed domestically and continentally have failed to live up to expectations due to fatigue.
Mr Commey, however, admitted that it would be a tough campaign for Aduana Stars due to the intensity in playing in both competitions but was hopeful that his team could cope with the pressure.
When asked whether they had the depth to meet the demands of both the Premier League and Champions League, he said his outfit was ready to rotate their squad enough to prevent fatigue and injuries in their matches.
"It will be a tough season for us, especially when we are competing in the League and Champions League but I believe we have the squad to cope with such pressure.
"We are looking forward to rotating the squad enough to ensure we don’t witness a lot of fatigue and injuries which will affect our campaign," he concluded.
Meanwhile, a former Berekum Chelsea coach, Anthony Lokko has warned Aduana to expect a tougher game against Algerian side Entente Sportive de Sétif when they lock horns in the CAF Champions League on March 4 at the Nana Agyemang Badu Park at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
Coach Lokko, however, believed Aduana possessed the qualities to deal with any threat of their opponents in their continental encounter.
Coach Lokko told the Graphic Sports last Sunday that Aduana Stars had a quality trainer in Yusif Abubakar, whom he believed would be key in deciding the game in both legs.
“They have a good team but must expect a tougher game against their next opponents in the CAF Champions League. That is the way the continental campaign goes and you must be ready to deal with it.
“I believe in their coach a lot, who, to me, is one of the best in the country and will be very key in deciding the game over both legs,” he said.
He urged Aduana to be more clinical against their opponents by taking their chances in the game.
He, however, advised against complacency, which he said, could be a key factor in the tie and expected the Premier League champions to win big at home.
