Asante Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito has set his sights firmly on victory ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster showdown against Hearts of Oak in Accra.
The Porcupine Warriors travel to the capital for the season’s first Super Clash on Sunday, November 9.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Zito reflected on his long-standing relationship with Hearts boss Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, while admitting that the upcoming nerve-cracker carries extra motivation after their recent face offs.
“I’ve worked with him before when he was at Kotoko. I was with the U20s and he was with the senior side,” Zito said. The telepathy between us worked well, we won the Premier Division twice and the U20 twice. That tells you how in sync we were.
However, friendship will be put aside on Sunday, as the two respected tacticians meet for the third time since taking charge of Ghana’s biggest clubs.
“Beyond Hearts and Kotoko, we’re brothers. We talk a lot and he’s doing very well with Hearts of Oak,” Zito added. “We’ve played twice, I won the President’s Cup and he won the GHALCA Top 4, so this third one is to prove a point. I said earlier that the timing of that gala wasn’t good for Kotoko, and now I feel vindicated.”
Determined to back his words with results, Zito made his intentions clear.
“Automatically, we are going there with the mindset of beating him at the end of the day,” he declared.
Kotoko currently lurks 8th on the Ghana Premier League table after five matches, while Hearts of Oak occupy fourth place after eight games, setting the stage for another fierce chapter in Ghana’s greatest football rivalry.
By: Pascal Amoah
