ERIC BEKOE BLAST KOTOKO MANAGEMENT FOR USING 'JUJU'

Eric Bekoe, former Kotoko striker and  2008 goal king of the Ghana premier league 

Former Ghana international and one time Ghana Premier League top scorer Eric Bekoe reveals he is ashamed by the superstitious conduct of his former club Asante Kotoko during their league clash with Aduana Stars on Wednesday.

It was a game of bizarre scenes as both clubs fielded 10 players each for the first half, believing that which ever club was first to put 11 players on the pitch would end up losing the Match Day 11 fixture in Dormaa.

With neither side ready to take the big step, the two teams held on to a member of their starting XI on the sidelines, portraying that the players picked up injuries just before kick-off and were receiving treatment while waiting on each other to send on the 11th man.

Visiting team Kotoko ultimately ended the game on the losing side as Samuel Bioh’s strike in the 4' of injury time won all three points for the hosts in a dramatic fashion.

“As a former player of Kotoko, I’m deeply ashamed by what happened and I condemn the act because football has come of age. This incident doesn’t speak well of Ghanaian football in the modern age,”

Bekoe, who won the league title and the goal king award with Kotoko in 2008, told sportsbiggesthint.com on Thursday.

“Players will use more energy when playing with 10 men as against playing with 11. A big club like Kotoko should not have been involved in such an act. This was purely a trial and error and if Kotoko had won, whoever was behind it would have taken credit for the three points.

“A team may even have money set aside for such spiritual acts when players’ salaries are even unpaid. If ‘juju’  plays football, then the boys should not even waste time training. If ‘juju’ works, the ‘juju’ man would not tell a team to go and train well while he prays for victory from his corner. It is of no use." he stressed

Kotoko, two-time African champions and the most successful club in the history of the league with 24 titles, withheld Martin Antwi on the sidelines while Aduana did the same with Farouk Adams.

“I was surprised Maxwell Konadu also agreed. And at the end of the day what happened? Kotoko lost! If they fielded 11 men, maybe they could have gotten a draw. When you travel to play for a team abroad, there are certain teams those clubs don’t tolerate.

Their antics briefly delayed kick-off. Both teams, however, each sent 11 players onto the pitch for the second half.

“Football is a mind game. Are you telling me if Real Madrid are going to play Barcelona, they would say they should go on to the pitch with a man short to get a spiritual advantage? This is all nonsense. Football is all tactical. If you do your home work well and get to the field, you’ll have no excuses.”

There were other superstitious actions before and during the game. Kotoko reportedly used an unusual and longer travelling route for their journey to Dormaa for spiritual beliefs concerning the match result. This resulted in Kotoko arriving late at the match venue.

The game was the top liner of the Match Day 11 round of games.