Asante Kotoko head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum has attributed his team’s recent loss to Heart of Lions to fatigue.
Following a surprising defeat to Legon Cities at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium last week, the Porcupine Warriors were eager to bounce back at their home ground, the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium, during Matchday 9 on Sunday.
However, a lone goal from Kwadwo Obeng Junior in the 28th minute sealed a 1-0 victory for Heart of Lions, marking Kotoko’s second defeat of the season.
In his post-match remarks, Narteh Ogum expressed concern over his players’ sluggishness on the pitch, citing exhaustion from their travel schedule in the ongoing 2024/25 Ghana Premier League season.
“I think we looked slow; we looked very slow; we looked very tired on the field. I think it was the stress of the journey. From Kumasi to Anyinase, it takes about nine hours. We played on Sunday,” Prosper Narteh Ogum said after the game.
“We then traveled another ten hours to Accra to play on Wednesday against Legon Cities. From Wednesday, we had to travel all the way from Accra to Kumasi. So it’s three games in seven days, and you could see that they were tired.”
The coach admitted that while he wouldn’t make excuses, it was clear that the nine- to ten-hour journey contributed to their defeat.
“I don’t try to make excuses, but it is so obvious. Look at the journey to Anyinase, nine to ten hours. I think it was fatigue on our part,” he concluded.
Despite the setback, Asante Kotoko currently holds third place in the league standings with 15 points and will face Bechem United in their next match at Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park on Sunday for Matchday 10.
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