How Kotoko pipped AshGold to SWAG Cup
The Porcupine Warriors yesterday put a smile on the faces of their supporters when they pipped regional rivals Obuasi AshGold to lift this year’s SIC Nyemitei Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Cup.
Advertisement
This ended the Aboakese dominance over the Porcupine Warriors in recent times and earned them the bragging rights to the SWAG Cup.
Playing before one of their biggest crowds in recent times and the Life Patron of the club, it had to take a late free kick for Kotoko to win the day. Eric Donkor who had wasted lots of chances earlier, rose to the occasion when it mattered most and scored the winning goal with a picturesque free kick.
When everyone, including the Ashgold technical bench, had thought the match was heading for penalty shootouts, as at almost 90th minute neither side had scored, Eric Donkor lobbed the defensive wall of Ashgold and put the ball beyond the reach of Nana Osei Bonsu who had just assumed the Ashgold posts in anticipation of the shootout.
Nana Bonsu had been on the pitch for less than a minute when he conceded the goal, having taken over from Robert Dabo, who had been in posts for AshGold and had proven to be the stumbling block between Asante Kotoko and victory.
Dabo had feigned injury for Bonsu to step in.
Before then, it was a ding-dong affair between the two teams with some of the players exhibiting individual skills than playing as a team.
The game was played largely in the midfield with sporadic incursions into the goal areas of either team.
Though Kotoko looked the more resilient side, their efforts provided little results as they wasted the chances that came their way until the 91st minute when unexpectedly, Eric Donkor, rose up to the occasion by scoring the goal that mattered most on the day.
It was a sweet revenge for the Porcupines Warriors who were denied the Otumfuo Cup by AshGold some two months ago when they whipped Kotoko by 3-1.
