Sogne Yacouba in charge of the ball in yesterday’s game (Left), rain-soaked Felix Annan (right)
THERE WAS drama when the first-leg of the Africa Confederation Cup eliminator between Asante Kotoko and San-Pedro of Cote D’Ivoire was rained off at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday.
Both teams had played an interesting goalless game in the first half and the soccer fans were expecting another 45 minutes of football action but the match was rained off due to the slippery nature of the field.
Kotoko clearly did not want the game to continue after the break but their opponents, San-Pedro, insisted that the field was not deeply soaked with rain water, therefore, the game should continue as planned.
There was drama when San-Pedro players and their technical officials at a point even attempted to use some items to wipe away portions of the field that had become soaked.
This weird action of the visitors nearly resulted in a clash between them and Kotoko officials but the police personnel quickly rushed to the field to ensure order.
The South African referee and match commissioner after bouncing the ball on the field, then whistled for the end of the match. In effect, the game was postponed to Monday (today), which is 24 hours as enshrined in FIFA regulations.
Before the match officials cancelled the game and rescheduled it for today, Kotoko CEO, Dr. Kwame Kyei, and the newly elected GFA President, Kurt Okraku, had also tested the field and said the game couldn’t continue.
Meanwhile, the first half was a balanced game as both Kotoko and San-Pedro threatened to score but they could not find the back of the net due to the agility of the goalkeepers of both teams.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi