The league winners clinched the first trophy of the season thanks to a 62nd-minute strike from Bright Adjei.

Aduana started well and almost scored in the 8th minute but Derrick Sasraku could not finish a set up for him.

Bright Agyei also had a chance but Kotoko goalie, Felix Annan, did well to make a save. Kotoko also had some chances but they were also blunt in front of goal.

However, the winning moment for Aduana Stars came in the second half when Bright Adjei rifled the home from distance.

Kotoko went for the equaliser but they failed to find the net and eventually lost the tie.

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By: Citi Sports

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The central Midfielder signed the dotted lines in a 2 year deal that makes him the 2nd player to join the Porcupines in this window.

“We’re delighted to welcome Sylla to the club. He’s a strong and gifted player and we have no doubt he’d add a lot of quality to our play,” club Communications Chief, Obed Acheampong, told www.asantekotokosc.com.

Kotoko are looking to beef up it’s FA cup winning squad of last season as they look set to challenge for more silverware in the coming season.

The club also announced the signing of former Aduana Stars defender, Wahab Adams, in a 2 year deal.

The highly rated defensive pillar and former deputy captain of the Dormaa based club penned his signature at the Kotoko secretariat after passing the club’s mandatory medical examination on Friday.

The well-built central defender enjoyed an impressive 7-year spell with the Brong Ahafo outfit and joins Kotoko after seeing through the expiration of his contract amidst interest from other clubs, including the 2016/17 Premier League champions, who were keen on extending his stay.

Wahab, though young, bags a lot of experience and is expected to strengthen the Kotoko defense ahead of the upcoming season which would see the Porcupines compete for both domestic titles and the CAF Confederations Cup.

Wahab Adams said: “I have played for Aduana Stars for 7 years and wanted to change environment. I chose Kotoko out of the numerous clubs (that wanted my signature) because it is the club I have always wanted to play. It is my favorite team. I have supported it from infancy and all my family members are Kotoko fans”.

Speaking on his targets, Wahab Adams told www.asantekotokosc.com: “I want to help the team to go far in the Confederations Cup and also win the league for the supporters.”

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Source: Asante Kotoko

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The FA Cup champions were given three weeks off following their commanding 3-1 victory over rivals Hearts of Oak in Tamale.

Head coach Steve Polack flew out of the country last week on holiday and is expected back in the country next weekend.

Kotoko, who will be competing in the CAF Confederation Cup competition next season, have been largely quiet on transfer activity. While several players are rumored to be on their way out, Kotoko have yet to confirm any signings with the new Ghana Premier League season expected to kick off in February 2018.

By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Porcupine Ruthlessness 

At very irregular moments, cup finals leave you asking “how did that happen?” because those ones tend to follow the strangest of scripts.

Sunday’s MTN FA Cup final between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak was one of the ‘strange’ ones. I say strange because Hearts were expected to come into the match with a lot of confidence and give off a great performance. That, of course, was not going to guarantee victory but it was to follow the form guide.

But did not happen. It was Kotoko who looked like they had prepared for the match. It seemed all their travails of the season set them up for this one match against the old enemy.

They attacked from the first second and after 81, Saddick Adams reminded all of us of his quality. He steadied himself to finish well after a move from the left wing.

Then, he scored a penalty after 30 minutes. His third for me, was the final part of full performance. All good strikers take a gamble and go for what may be a non-existent chance.

He did that and pounced on Vincent Atingah’s rather lame header towards his goalie, Ben Mensah. Adams went round the goalkeeper and scored his hat-trick; the first for a Kotoko player against Hearts in a first half since Opoku Nti did that back in 1983.

The game was up for Hearts at that point.

I wonder how Hearts of Oak will recover from the loss. The players were too slow and did not see what was happening.

Could it also be that their coach Frank Nuttal got his selection wrong? Atingah and Richard Akrofi in central defence could not work together.

Malik Akowuah was more interested in hacking players down than doing some good break-up play in midfield. The Phobians looked strangled all game and their second half push was woefully inadequate.

The pain of the defeat will have to stay with them and remind of faring better when they get the next opportunity.

For Kotoko, the joy of victory should also remind them of what they can achieve if they work hard. Next time, it could be them facing the barrel of the long gun of a loss.

Big boys get their way in Premier League

The Premier League’s top teams had to kick on from their work in the previous week and for some, the need for a win was so great and of course, all the action was live on Citi 97.3 FM.

The team that needed to get something positive was Manchester United against Tottenham and they did. I was at a wedding on Saturday so, it was pure torture as I had to keep refreshing my Twitter handle for updates from the Citi FM account and all my football apps for the latest.

May the Lord forgive me but it had to be done.

Later, when I watched the highlights, I noticed that the Red Devils had better tempo and more aggression but Spurs settled and showed their hand.

However, Man United went for the kill and a good change by Jose Mourinho brought Anthony Martial on for Marcus Rashford and the French forward struck the winner in the 81st minute.

Ander Herrera was good at running around to keep tabs on Spurs’ midfield because that was the only way to stop them from thinking well and creating openings for Son Heung-Min and Dele Alli who had to find the goals in the absence of Harry Kane.

I did not expect Mourinho to sit back for this one. He was at home and he had to show Spurs that winning was equally important to him.

But Spurs did look fairly blunt without Kane and there is no hiding it. If Llorente will be their second option, then they need to start working on how use him else they will struggle.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all got their victories and even though, the scorelines show straight forward story lines, the matches themselves were tougher. However, big teams respond to challenges and conquer them.

Arsenal had to fight back from a goal down, Liverpool missed a penalty while Chelsea had to withstand Bournemouth’s industry.

But how did Michail Antonio not use years of playing in the league to run down the clock for West Ham to beat Crystal Palace? He must have felt sick at the sight of Wilfried Zaha scoring an equaliser in the 96th minute.

For once, Slaven Bilic can say that his players (or Antonio) let him down badly.

That is the Premier League for you. Things change in seconds. A missed chance will be punished. A lack of toughness will be used against you. A sense of uncertainty will leave you lost and under pressure.

Chelsea and Man United will face off in the next round and if that does not excite you, nothing else will.

Citi Sports will be at the AM & PM Sports Bar for an outdoor event so join us there.

Young English Kings 

Whoever thought that a day would come and we would all say that England won a football title? That day is here. England are kings of both world U-17 and U-20 football.

They added the U-17 title on Saturday in India after recovering from 2 goals to beat Spain 5-2 and they looked great value for their success.

They were positive, confident and technically as able as Spain, Brazil, France and Germany. They did not look like your average English side but then, it only shows that they are now really serious about fixing their football and placing themselves in a good place in terms of world football.

Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden, Rhian Brewster and Calum Hodson-Odoi are the embodiment of the good work done by the English FA on the technical side. But coming back from two goals down in a final also points to the mental toughness of the group.

Brewster, who was the tournament’s top scorer with 8 goals, said that his country’s football was “evolving”. I do believe that.

Maybe this is the cue we need to change things in Ghana.

Notable mentions to the Golden State Warriors and it is because of the 26 turnovers they committed against the Detroit Pistons leading to a home loss. Nice punishment. Coach Steve Kerr needs to get such nonsense out of the team. It is becoming annoying waking up at dawn and seeing such numbers.

Lewis Hamilton gets a mention too for capturing his fourth title. He fought hard to dislodge Sebastien Vettel and over the course of the season, he showed experience and alertness to see the chances and take them as the races came along.

Former Kotoko and Hearts goalie Soulama Abdoulaye also deserved a mention and even more. He passed on last Friday in Burkina Faso and he left us with good memories.

He was a main stay of the Kotoko for about seven years and I do not remember when he did not give his all. He led from his between the sticks and he was loved and admired.

He gave Hearts of Oak a few good seasons too and it was very pleasant seeing him play for his country.

May he rest in peace.

That’s it folks.

Catch you nest week. Hit me up on Twitter @nathan_quao

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The former Berekum Chelsea attacker scored inside 90 seconds to give the Porcupine Warriors the opener and added two more goals on the half-hour mark and on the stroke of half-time to give Kotoko a 3-0 lead going into the break.

Hearts Captain Thomas Abbey scored in the second half for an improved Hearts of Oak side but it only counted for consolation as Kotoko wrapped up an impressive victory over their rivals.

Kotoko started the brighter of the two sides and it took only 90 seconds for them to take the lead. Careless play from the Hearts of Oak midfield area allowed Kwame Boahen to intercept and set up Sadick Adams in the Hearts of Oak Penalty area, who exhibited impeccable composure to fire past the helpless Ben Mensah in the Hearts of Oak goal.

The goal inspired Kotoko, who immediately went on the attack again with the marauding Augustine Sefa setting up Kwame Boahen in the far post who fired an angled effort at Ben Mensah to parry it for a corner which he then spilled over before the Hearts defense eventually cleared.

Kotoko continued to put pressure on a nervous Hearts of Oak defense and Sadick Adams fired a freekick straight at Ben Mensah, moments after Felix Annan made an easy safe off Fatau Mohammed.

It was all Kotoko in the first 15 minutes with both Kwame Boahen and Obed Owusu firing straight at Ben Mensah who had been Hearts of Oak most outstanding player up to that point.

After moments of sparse opportunities for either side, the referee called for a water break, giving Frank Nutall an opportunity to alter some tactics.

Right after the break, Hearts of Oak tested Felix Annan for the first time, but the diminutive shot-stopper dove to push Cobbinah’s effort just wide. From the corner, Kotoko quickly turned defense into attack with Emmanuel Gyamfi sprinting past Malik Akowuah on the halfway line.

The former Medeama Man, who had been booked for an earlier silly challenge, dragged Gyamfi back in the attempt to stop him. It was a bookable offense but referee Latif Adaari chose to keep his card in his pocket. Hearts fans breathed a sigh of relief but Kotoko fans were livid.

But from the Freekick, Kotoko won the penalty; off another moment of madness from Hearts of Oak’s defense. This time, Richard Akrofi dragged back Sadick Adams as he readied to take a shot in the area. The former Berekum Chelsea man stepped and converted it to make it 2-0.

Hearts of Oak’s day went from bad to worse on the stroke of halftime. Vincent Atinga attempted to head a back pass to his goalkeeper but the header was weak and Sadick run through to pick the loose ball, rounded Ben Mensah and finishes off for his hattrick.

Hearts of Oak started the second half with more intensity and created chances but Kotoko remained resolute. Patrick Razak and Kizito with feeble efforts cleared by the Kotoko defence.

Nutall poured more men forward, hooking the poor Akowuah for striker Cosmos Dauda as he went in search of a way back into the match.

Ray of light for Hearts

On 60 minutes, Hearts of Oak’s incessant pressure paid off as Thomas Abbey scored to reduce the deficit, connecting Fatawu Mohammed’s cross with a dangling header past Felix Annan to make it 1-3.

Hearts of Oak finally had something to build on and Kizito fired wide moments later before Cobbinah hit a freekick straight at the wall from a good position.

From then on, it was all about game management for Asante Kotoko, who intermittently stopped play just to interrupt the flow of the game. But within the moments of confusion and the threats of spilling over, Sadick Adams still had a chance to score a fourth, but his effort was well wide.

As the sun gave way for the floodlights at the Tamale Sports Stadium, referee Latif Adaari’s whistle brought an end to the Phobian misery as Kotoko lift their 9^th FA Cup crown.

They picked up the Ghc50,000 prize money and a place at this year’s CAF Confederation Cup Competition.

Additionally, Kotoko will receive Ghc 150,000 as support money for their participation in the CAF Confederation Cup competition.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Sadick Adams’ hattrick sinks Hearts, gives Kotoko 9th FA Cup appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The smock, also known as “fugu” in the local parlance, is a signature cloth worn by the people of the north.

Both sets of players walked out onto the stadium amidst loud cheers, as they took a lap around the stadium to appreciate the cheering fans.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post FA Cup final: Kotoko, Hearts players flaunt beautiful smocks appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Fans of both Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, who have found their way into the stadium, are getting their voices heard as they sing to their clubs’ famous songs.

Earlier, there was a curtain raiser women’s football match played between Lepo Ladies and Northern Ladies with Lepo Ladies triumphing 2-0.

The MTN FA Cup final will kick off at 15:00GMT, and will be preceded by a fanfare of activities including a performance by Tamale-based top artist Fancy Gadam.

Prior to the game, fans hoping to secure tickets to watch the MTN FA Cup final faced early frustration at the gates, after being told the only means of paying for a ticket is through MTN Mobile Money.

When the gates opened at 10:01 on Sunday morning, fans who were already hanging around the stadium began to queue in excitement.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Hearts of Oak finished 3rd in this season’s Ghana Premier League; 2 places above Kotoko who finished 5th.

Bekoe said while Kotoko and Hearts of Oak matches are largely unpredictable, the Phobians will go into the tie the stronger of the two sides.

“Hearts of Oak has picked up since the start of the second round. Looking at their form guide, I think they’re on top [compared to Kotoko]. So looking at it from a spectator’s point of view, Hearts are favorites,” he said.

The 2008 Ghana Premier League top scorer was however quick to add that top form can count for nothing in games involving the two traditional rivals.

“But when it comes to this match, it’s not about your form; anything can happen,” he added.

Kotoko and Hearts of Oak are meeting in the FA Cup final for the first time since 1990, when the Porcupine Warriors emerged victorious via a 4-2 scoreline but were later stripped off the title for fielding an unqualified player.

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By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The English man replaced Croatian trainer Zdravko Logarusic in May, and has steered the club to president’s cup glory, a 4th place finish in the league, and the final of the FA Cup to be played this month.

The former King Faisal and Berekum Chelsea trainer was handed a short-term contract until the end of the 2016/2017 Ghana premier league season.

Asked to clarify his contract situation at the club, Polack confirmed the FA Cup final against Hearts of Oak in Tamale would be his last game as a Kotoko coach, as the club is yet to speak to him about an extension.

“My contract is till the end of the season. I’ve heard rumours that they want me to stay, but at the moment there’s been no negotiation so the ball is in their court.
“The FA Cup final will be my last game,” he said.

Kotoko face Accra Hearts of Oak on October 29 in the FA Cup final in Tamale.

By: Fentuo Tahiru/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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They are Evans Kwaw, Eric Donkor, Saddick Adams, Frank Sarfo Gyamfi, Baba Mahama, Osei Agyeman, Augustine Sefa, Michael Akuffo and Awudu Nafiu.

[contextly_sidebar id=”aG5DsXdoW7ggB8bPSLP4iZ1P0znf58qy”]The team manager, Godwin Abloddey and some other officials who were on-board, have also been discharged.

However, the Coach, Steve Pollack, Olenu Ashitey and the driver, Nana Berchie are still on admission at the KATH.

The Porcupine Warriors en route Kumasi from Nkawkaw, after a 1-0 defeat to Inter Allies, run into a Kia Truck which was parked in the middle of the road.

The Equipment Officer of the team, Mr. Thomas Kofi Asare is reported dead.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah upon a request by the team’s Operations Manager assured that the body of the deceased will be transported to KATH by midday.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council together with the Youth and Sports Committee of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly have donated an amount of GH¢5,000 each to the team.

Simon Osei Mensah also assured that the Regional Coordinating Council will foot the hospital bills.
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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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