Ashgold sure to beat M.O. Bejaia
The players and technical handlers of AshantiGold have been handed a big boost ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League preliminary round clash with O.M. Bejaia with the club’s management announcing an undisclosed qualification bonus, if they make it to the next round of the competition.
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Ashgold’s Kudjoe Fianoo said rather than paying winning bonus per match which may even not guarantee qualifications, the new measure was to urge the players to go for the kill in order to benefit from the amount.
Indeed, the announcement might have come as a surprise to the team, whose parent company, Anglogold Ashanti, has threatened to cut back on its financial support due to the closure of the Obuasi mines and the retrenchment of workers in the wake of world market challenges which have hit the gold industry.
However, the announcement of new incentives by Mr Fianoo was enough to fire up the players at training at the Len Clay Stadium yesterday even as their Algerian opponentshad arrived in the country full of confidence for tomorrow’s showdown at Obuasi.
Almost two decades since they came close to winning Africa’s flagship club competition, Ashgold are confident they would carry the day on home soil as they hope to replicate their 1997 performance when the Soccer Miners lost the Champions League final to Raja Casablanca on penalties.
But that ambition and the desire to give their home fans something to cheer about on St Valentine’s Day could be threatened by the club's relative inactivity. Beyond a few practice matches, the SIC-HP Nyemitei SWAG Cup, the recently introduced GHALCA Top 6 competition and last Sunday’s GFA Super Cup against Medeama, Ashgold are yet to have a week in, week out match action to test their readiness, compared with their opponents who come into tomorrow’s match with the benefit of playing 20 league matches in the Algerian championship so far.
In spite of the disadvantage of not playing regular competitions, Coach Bashir Hayford is optimistic his charges will rise to the occasion and placate their fans with a home win tomorrow. The experienced coach has concluded strategies to clip the wings of the visitors who may be counting on their aerial strength and fast breaks.
With their average height of six feet, the Algerians could pose aerial threat to the ‘Miners’ whose strength lie in a swift passing game with midfield dominance.
Key to Ashgold’s game plan is for playmaker Emmanuel Osei Baffour to have a good day, and the strikers focused and capitalising on scoring opportunities.
The Algerians, who arrived yesterday, had a 'shake-up' at the Opoku Ware School park in Kumasi and are expected to have a feel of the Len Clay pitch today ahead of tomorrow's match.
