Asante Kotoko head coach Karim Zito has reiterated his desire to see captain Samba O’Neil remain at the club.
Speaking after Kotoko’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Young Apostles in their outstanding Matchweek 6 fixture at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Wednesday, Zito said he hopes the club can secure O’Neil’s future but admits he will not stand in the defender’s way if a better opportunity arises.
“I will be worried because… there’s nothing I can do,” Zito said. “I did not sign his contract, and even if mine also gets there I will also leave, if some good offer comes, I will go. We leave and work for our families and ourselves. So I will never stop him from going, but if we have a way to let him stay with us then we should do that.”
Kotoko’s win, which ended a two-game run without victory, lifts the Porcupine Warriors to fifth on the table with 19 points-two behind the leaders Medeama and with a game in hand.
The Porcupine Warriors dominated the first half but failed to convert their chances, and it took until the 51st minute for Hubert Gyau to break the deadlock. The lead lasted only three minutes before Richmond Opoku struck to level for the visitors.
With pressure mounting in the closing stages, Kotoko pushed relentlessly for a winner. Their persistence paid off in stoppage time when captain O’Neil kept his composure to convert a contentious penalty that sparked protests from the Young Apostles bench.
By: Pascal Amoah
