Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has spoken about the demanding pitch and weather conditions that shaped his side’s 2-2 draw away to Debibi United in the Ghana Premier League, insisting the playing surface was a shared burden rather than an excuse.
Speaking after the final whistle, Tinkler was quick to point out that the heavy, thick turf at the venue was not a one-sided disadvantage. Both teams, he explained, showed visible signs of fatigue as the match wore on, with players on either side struggling to sustain their usual intensity in the closing stages.
I could see their legs were dead. Not only our legs, their legs. And yes, the pitch is heavy, the pitch is thick.”
Tinkler, who drew on his own playing career to explain the physical toll of such surfaces, described how heavy pitches place additional strain on players’ lower bodies over the course of a match.
According to the coach, the density of the turf forces players to work harder with every stride, a factor that compounds fatigue well before full time.
I’ve played on pitches like that and it’s hard, because it starts affecting your calves, your thighs, your hamstrings. They start going very, very quickly,” Tinkler said, describing the gradual breakdown in physical condition that both squads experienced.
Compounding the difficulty of the surface was the intense heat under which the match was played. Tinkler noted that dehydration became a growing concern for players as the game progressed, and he used the post-match platform to raise a pointed concern about player welfare in such conditions.
Despite the conditions, Tinkler maintains the pitch did not prevent Kotoko from playing their intended style.
And then the intense heat, the dehydration starts coming in. We didn’t have a water break, but in this weather we should be at least having a water break for the players. That’s the only criticism that I would give,” he stated.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Tinkler was careful to stress that the conditions did not derail his team’s approach to the game. He maintained that Kotoko were still able to express their preferred brand of football, even as the surface and the heat tested both sides’ endurance.
The pitch didn’t stop us from playing our brand of football.”