Asante Kotoko, Dolphins go for broke in Kumasi - Confederation Cup

Ganiyu Salman, Kumasi, Ghana - 11.05.2008

Chijioke Ejiogu, ... can he save
Dolphins today in Kumasi?NIGERIA and Ghana would again reenact the rivalry between both countries in soccer today as Dolphins FC with two goals advantage battle Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi, in the return leg tie of the Confederation Cup.

Kotoko, known as the Porcupine Warriors, it would be recalled, stopped Wikki Tourists of Bauchi in the early round of the competition, but today’s clash will not be a tea party for the team which walloped Tourists 4-1 after a 2-2 draw in Nigeria.

Coach Lawrence Akpokona whose side defeated Sokoto United 3-0 in the FA Cup game on Tuesday in Abuja to put the team in a killer mood ahead of the Kumasi showdown, will no doubt become a hero tonight should his team scale through to the next round of the competition introduced in 2004.

Reason: Kotoko had in the inaugural tourney hammered Rangers incidentally handled by Akpokona, 3-1 before the Tourists’ 4-1 debacle in April, meaning, no Nigerian team had left the Kumasi Stadium unscathed.

Trained by the former national U-17 coach, Bashir Hayford, Kotoko is also blessed with a crop of enterprising ball jugglers in Harrison Afful and Eric Bekoe of the Black Stars alongside skipper Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Daniel Acquah, Samuel Inkoom and Jordan Opoku, among others who could make a mincemeat of any team on a good day.

Dolphins take a 2-0 advantage to Kumasi but have had little rest since they won the first leg tie in Calabar.

After the demolition of Kotoko, the team on the local scene defeated OUK United in the National Division One League 2-0 and lost 0-2 to Crown FC, aside the FA Cup 3-0 victory over a hapless side from Sokoto State.

Head coach of the club, Lawrence Akpokona had told KickOffNigeria.com that it would have been better if those matches were postponed by the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) but they were forced to play.

“We wanted especially the FA Cup game in Abuja postponed because of the fatigue and travel weariness would do to the team but the NFA insisted and we could do nothing about it but I thank God we won the game and can now look forward to the Kotoko match,” the former Rangers coach said.

“We have a two goal cushion and we are optimistic it can lead us through but that does not mean we will sit back thinking we are already through,” he added.

Arrival in Accra.
“We wouldn’t blame the club for that. I think it was just an airline problem. We also noticed that most of their airplanes sit about forty people and with other people booking flights too, it will be difficult to get thirty five seats en bloc when tavelling,” a statement out of Dolphins media department read.