There is an unusual tension in the camp of the Porcupines after seven new players arrived to partake in the ongoing pre-season in Eastern region.
Ahead of Asante Kotoko’s second friendly game against an unnamed lower division side in Akosombo on Saturday, several key members of the squad are feeling uneasy following the arrival of new players, AshesGyamera.com reports.
The club has announced the signing of ten new players including Ghana goalkeeper Razak Abalora and Bofoakwa Tano defender Andrew Appau who arrived at the team’s training camp in Koforidua this week.
With Brazilian midfielder Fabio Gama also about to join the first team after his two-year deal was announced on Friday, tension is creeping into the squad as each one is not assured of a starting place or more game time in Maxwell Konadu’s program for the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League and Caf Champions League season.
Already, it is unclear who among the top three goalkeepers – Felix Annan, Kwame Baah and Razak Abalora – will be named as first-choice despite report suggesting that Abalora signed his deal with a clause indicating that he will be the first option.
“If you come around, almost everyone is acting strange somehow because they don’t know which other player will be welcomed in the next hour. It is normal to feel threatened especially when you have few weeks to begin a season,” a source close to team said.
There will be a friendly game this afternoon against one of the lower divison sides in Akosombo and I can tell you that all the players are ready to give out their all because the least mistake will mean that you’re gradually going down in the pecking order of the coach.
“Until the transfer window is closed, I don’t believe the players will feel easy and relaxed in camp. This is because rumours have it that players from Europe may even join and it could be true since Fabio Gama’s move initially turned out to look like a fiction but later became a reality,” the source added.
Kotoko defeated Odweanoma FC 3-0 in their first pre-season game last weekend. They will kick start their GPL campaign with a home fixture against Techiman Eleven Wonders on November 15 at Accra Sports Stadium before they travel to Golden City Park in Berekum to lock horns with Berekum Chelsea on November 22.
