Asante Kotoko returned to winning ways on home soil with a 2-1 victory over Heart of Lions at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, a result that ended an eleven-year wait for the Porcupine Warriors against the Kpando-based side, whom they had not beaten since 2015.
Head coach Eric Tinkler’s men raced into a two-goal cushion before a spirited Lions response, reduced to ten men, threatened to unravel the afternoon. A tactical switch from the home bench ultimately proved decisive in seeing out the match, though the manner of the win left the South African tactician with mixed feelings after the final whistle.
Speaking to the press afterward, Tinkler acknowledged that his side had done enough in possession to create a string of scoring opportunities, even as defensive organisation remained an area for concern.
We created quite a few chances, but we managed to survive and we managed to get opportunities ourselves. The times that we did get on the ball and look after it and did create the combinations, we created chances, you know, but overall, still a lot of work that we’ve got to do defensively because our shifting is not great.” Eric Tinkler, Asante Kotoko Head Coach
With Kotoko holding a comfortable 2-0 lead, Tinkler opted to reshape his side into a back five, a move designed to shore up the defensive structure and protect the advantage. The adjustment kept the Warriors ahead, though it did not entirely resolve the issues in their defensive shape, particularly once Lions were reduced to ten men and continued to trouble the hosts.
I changed the system to a back five when we were 2-0 up. And we still struggle with a shifting against ten men,” Tinkler admitted, conceding that his side’s positional discipline needs further attention on the training ground.
Despite the nervy finish, the Kotoko coach was pragmatic about the nature of the result, emphasising that the three points mattered more than the aesthetics of the performance.
Sometimes you’ve got to win it ugly, and I feel okay, we won it ugly today, but we’ll take the three points and move on.” Eric Tinkler, Asante Kotoko Head Coach
The win moves Kotoko forward in their early-season campaign under Tinkler, who continues to work on building defensive cohesion within a squad still adapting to his methods. It marks a symbolic result for the Porcupine Warriors faithful, snapping a run of results against Heart of Lions that had stretched back a decade, and offering early evidence of steady, if imperfect, progress under the new coaching regime.
Still work in progress,” was how Tinkler summed up his team’s defensive shortcomings, a phrase that captures both the promise and the unfinished business surrounding his rebuilding project at Kotoko.