KOTOKO FANS DISAPPOINTED OVER EVERTON MATCH (BACK PAGE, GRAPHIC NSEMPA)

By Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

SUPPORTERS of Kumasi Asante Kotoko have expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the scheduled international march against English Premiership side Everton on July 12.
They accused the Professional League Board (PBL) of contributing to the cancellation of the match. The PLB had indicated that it could not reschedule the Asante Kotoko – Ash Gold Premier League match scheduled for the same day.
According to the PLB, the league had reached a critical stage and nothing should be left to chance to ensure a smooth end to the championship.
Everton had wanted to use the match as part of their pre-season tour to Ghana and their Chief Executive, Robert Elstone epitomised their disappointment over developments leading to the cancellation.
But Ghana's Football Association have organised a domestic cup competition, which clashes with the planned visit. He said on their website that, "This is extremely disappointing news”.
According to him, the club had put in a lot of planning and it was regrettable that things had fallen apart. "The club had invested a lot of time and effort into making this game a reality and were looking forward to making the trip to Kumasi, “ he said.
"It became clear in the past 24 hours that the opposition would be unable to meet its obligation to play on July 12 and despite looking at other dates and teams, in the end, it just could not work elsewhere in the schedule, “ the chief executive added.
"We obviously have a responsibility to David Moyes and his players and we are all focused on ensuring they get the best possible preparation ahead of the start of the new Premier League season," he stressed.
A number of supporters the Graphic Nsempa spoke to in Kumasi said, the decision not to reschedule the premier league match against Ash Gold was a plan to sabotage the efforts of Asante Kotoko to sell the club to the outside world.
The management of Kotoko were expecting to use the match to prove a point to the outside world about the pedigree of the club in football.
They would have also used the match to reap some financial benefits for the club.