The Victory’ – Coach Nerteh Ogum On Kotoko Win Over Dreams FC
Head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC, Prosper Narteh Ogum, insists that he made a brilliant substitution in his Premier League debut for the Porcupine Warriors from a goal down to thrashed Dreams FC by 3-1 in the season opener at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The I7-year-old attacking midfielder Issahaku Fatwa got his debut goal for Dreams FC in the 19th minute into the second half. Salifu Mudasiru levelled up for Kotoko in the 86th minute, while debutant Isaac Oppong took the lead in the 3rd minute after the equalizer. Former Inter Allies midfielder Richmond Lamptey cemented the victory for the visitors.
The former Elmina Sharks and Ebusua Dwarfs trainer intimated that it was a remarkable victory for him considering how the goals came, getting to the dying embers of the game.
“We were down and under pressure and looking at how the boys adapted to the game plan. We were able to play some combination of passes. I will say it was an astonishing thing, I am even short of words. It wasn’t the wrong substitution we made, we were losing the second ball in the middle of the park”.
The coach who is a former lecturer at the University of Cape Coast also continued that he made a good decision by substituting Fabio Gama who was a bit tired; as they were kicking him all over the place.
“So we decided to pull him to bring in Richard Boadu to add up to Mudasiru.
Mudasiru is mobile, so he can join the attack and sometimes join the midfield when we lose the ball. When Richard Boadu came, we had some stability and because Mudasiru is mobile, and he gave penetrative passes. We were able to open their defence and Isaac on the right-back was a fantastic player and superb on the ball.
Coach Ogum also praised Isaac Oppong for his outstanding performance.
“He was able to take on the left-back of Dreams FC most of the time and created those chances for his team mates to score and himself score”.
It was a good substitution we made;
we tried to make sure that we solidified the middle of the park.
Fataw anytime he had the ball, he had a free space to operate, so we brought in Richard Boadu (Agadas) to mark that space and sometimes keep an eye on him (Fataw). And when Boadu came, he (Fataw) was out of the game”.
Brent Kojo Amenuvor