We're In Serious Business - Ablordey

Asante Kotoko skipper Godwin Ablordey has heaped praises on his colleagues for the manner they have comported themselves under Physical Instructor, Awudu Nuhu and Goalkeepers' coach, Joe Carr.

The playing body undergoes its daily training schedules under the tutelage of the two who played ancillary roles to German coach, Ralf Zumdick who breezed out of the country a few days after the club had painfully missed out on the African Cup Winners Cup trophy.

In the absence of the coach, there have been some expectations within certain mischievous quarters to the effect that some members of the playing body would show a lackadaisical attitude and not respond enthusiastically to Zumdick's assistants.

But contrary to the unsavoury expectations, the skipper yesterday told the Asante Kotoko Express in a telephone interview that the playing body is leaving no stone unturned in their preparations for the three-prong onslaught on the African Cup Winners Cup, the FA Cup and most importantly, the premier league this year.

"It's all seriousness at the Ridge Park. All the players present are responding well to instructions from our handlers, Awudu Nuhu and Joe Carr. The response they are giving to instructions is highly professional and I think that's very commendable. It shows their readiness and preparedness to succeed this year and beyond", Ablordey noted.

He said a wind of unity, seriousness and hard work is blowing among the playing body and so far no player had sought to do anything that runs counter to what proceeds from the instructors, giving him no cause to shout out instructions or call such persons to order.

"Even when somebody is doing something that's not in line with what we've been told to do, the other players draw his attention to it and he quickly falls in line. This has reduced my work drastically and that in itself is a mark of unity without, which we cannot realise our objectives", he revealed.

Although the club started training behind the other three participating clubs in the GHALCA Top Four competition, Ablordey optimised that the seriousness coupled with the intensity of the training regimen the playing body has undergone would in no time ensure that they overtake those who took the lead as far as preparations for the coming football season are concerned.

The club's immediate competitive assignment is the GHALCA Top Four competition, in which they are expected to battle three Accra-based clubs for the trophy and a prize money.

He expressed the playing body's readiness to justify the assertion that the club's absence from the maiden edition of the competition took some sparkle out of it, saying, "We are gradually getting ready for the battles ahead. The brightness which was missing in last year's competition would be offered in abundance this year with our participation".

Paying tribute to the numerous supporters of the club for their patience, love and financial contribution towards the stride's being made by the club to inch itself up into the topmost echelons of African soccer once again, Ablordey said winning the second edition of the GHALCA Top Four would serve as the tonic for good things to come later in the year.