The technical head of Ghana Premier League outfit, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Prosper Narteh Ogum, has defended the club’s top scorer Franck Mbella Etouga following his penalty miss against Dormaa Aduana Stars in their match-day 28 fixtures on Sunday.
The Cameroonian import missed two spot kicks in his sides 1-1 draw game at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium despite scoring the club’s only goal in the first half through open play.
However, Prosper Ogum, who jump into the defense of the team’s talisman, admitted that it was not the first time Mbella has missed a kick from the spot.
“Not all, he’s been playing and he’s been scoring and once he missed, i encourage him that its part of it and this isn’t the first he is missing a penalty. I think he did that too when we went to Elmina Sharks, he missed, i spoke with him, he got his confidence back, from that time he converted all the penalties that we have”
“Its just unfortunate that today’s penalties that we got he missed them, but that is it, he scored a good goal, a very fantastic goal” he said.
He thus called on the porcupine family to rally behind the Cameroonian international by way of encouraging him to get his confidence back to enable him give his best to the team in subsequent games.
Commenting on his side’s inability to convert numerous chances they created, Prosper Ogum, categorically stated that luck eluded them on the day.
“We were just not lucky, we could have gone up by three goals so that what has happened wouldn’t have happened. So it’s part of it, so we don’t have to worry our heads so much about it because it’s game over and there’s nothing we can about the scoreline” he stressed.
Etouga Mbella is leading the Ghana Premier League Top Scoring chart with 19 goals and he is 3 goals away to equal the record set by Accra Hearts of Oak legend, Ishmael Addo who scored 22 goals in the 2001/2002 season as the all-time top-scorer.
Also, four or more goals will see him break and set a new record to his name.
Meanwhile, Yaw Annor and Bright Adjei of Obuasi AshantiGold and Dormaa Aduana Stars have also not relented in their chase for the goal-king with 16 and 14 goals respectively.
Kumasi Asante Kotoko still leads the league log with 56 points after 28 matches and will travel to Obuasi to play AshantiGold SC in the regional derby on Thursday, May, 19, 2022 in the week 29 fixtures.
