Bessa Ben Zola, the head coach of Aduana Stars FC, appears to have given up on rival Asante Kotoko for the Ghana Premier League (GPL) title, predicting them to win it with a few games to spare.
The Aduana Stars were defeated by the Porcupine Warriors in their match day 28 battle at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday, prompting Zola's announcement.The game ended 1-1, putting a stop to any hopes of closing the 14-point gap between the Porcupine Warriors (56 points) and Aduana (42 points) in sixth place.
Second-placed Bechem United, with 47 points, is Kotoko's closest rival, trailing by nine points with 18 points to play for in the next six games.
In an interview with the Times Sports, Ben Zola described any attempt to unseat Kotoko as a "mission impossible" since he could not see them surrendering too many points.The only driving elements in the competition, in his opinion, are the battle for top four spots and the fight to avoid relegation at the end of the season.
"As for me, I'm confident in saying it's a done deal for Kotoko; everything is in their hands."
"Any club attempting to catch up with Kotoko appears to be impossible. That is not to claim they have performed admirably, but they have performed admirably enough to get the points. Second, those who are pursuing the results have not been constant enough.Many people disagree with me, yet it appears to be the case. True, football can be dramatic at times, but Kotoko has yet to lose a match. They manage to escape with at least a point in their difficult situation."
"Normally, the reigning champions, Hearts of Oak, are capable of mounting a continuous fight, but they have not been consistent this season and even appear to have given up on second place."
"Bechem have also been good so far, so it will be a tight competition for the top four, but the table is set.Coach Zola voiced his sadness with Aduana Stars for failing to reach the FA Cup finals after losing to Bechem United over the weekend at the Golden City Park in Berekum.
However, he stated that the club's setback was not the end of the road, and that Aduana Stars was focused on the remainder of the league's challenge.
"Aduana Stars, now in sixth place in the league table, will strive to finish the season on a high note because we want to finish in the top four to compete in the season's curtain raiser."
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