Kotoko coach Smith upbeat ahead of Ashgold clash
Asante Kotoko interim coach, Johnson Smith, has tasked his charges to put the Sunday painful defeat to Aduana Stars behind and focus on their next trip to Obuasi.
The Porcupines Warriors on Sunday picked up their second home defeat of the season following a 1-0 defeat against Dormaa side Aduana Stars at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Failing to find the back of the net in the first half, substitute Samuel Bio’s second-half strike proved to be the match winner in the 75th minute to seal all three points for the visitors to record their first away victory of the 2020/21 campaign.
Briefing the media, Smith opened up on his side’s readiness for the next task against rivals Ashantigold SC on a match day 11 epic clash.
![Man United flop Antony our greatest-ever signing —Betis chief ANTONY gave a glimpse against Nottingham Forest as to why Real Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo believes the Manchester United flop might be "the most import¬ant signing" in the club's history. The 25-year-old has been reborn in Andalusia after an underwhelming stint at Old Trafford, where he failed to get anywhere near justifying the lofty fee paid to Ajax three years ago. Antony arrived for an eye-popping €95 million ($111.6m), plus a potential €5m in add-ons, but failed to consis¬tently impress and fell down the pecking order at United. The Brazil international sparkled after joining Betis on loan in January and made the move permanent after protracted talks brought a deadline-day switch for up to €25m. United included a clause that gives them 50% of any future deal for Antony, who followed a smart assist with a late goal to secure a 2-2 draw in Wednesday's Europa League opener against Forest. Betis sporting director Fajardo told the PA news agency: "I am 100% sure that maybe Antony is the most import¬ant signing in Betis' history. "Everything [about the signing] be¬cause the talent, the level of the player, the level of the club as Manchester United a big team, a big project, so I am 100% sure that Antony is the best signing in Betis' history." "In the first moment we spoke with Manchester United for Antony to stay in Betis one year more on loan. "But for Antony, for Manchester it was very, very important to recover the investment, so for Betis it was not easy. The move was so much for us. "But Manchester United made a big effort, Betis made a big effort, Antony made a big, big effort to play here again. Maybe in that situation that was the secret." Betis may not be able to compete with Premier League clubs' financial clout, but they boast talent that Fajardo hopes can see them to push for Europa League glory this season. "For Betis it is not easy to sign players from Premier League, because the dif¬ference in respect to the salary between the Premier League and LaLiga is too big," Fajardo added. "But when a player like Antony, for example, wants to come to Betis it's easier. "Antony only thought to play in Betis again, so when you have a negotiation with a big club in Manchester United, a club that paid a big amount for Antony, it's not easy. But the player wants to play in Betis."-ESPN](https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Antony-220x150.jpg)
“I will make sure I boost their confidence. I won’t let this discourage my team, yeah we’ve lost, let’s forget about it and focus on what’s ahead of us; I won’t even do a ‘postmortem,” he said.
The victory for Aduana Stars takes the ‘Ogya’ boys to fifth on the league table with 16 points while The Porcupine Warriors sit third with 16 points.
BY LINUS SIAW NARTEY
