Aduana Stars coach explains why he played ten men against Kotoko

Caretaker Coach of Aduana Stars WO Paul Tandoh has said defender Farouk Adams suffered stiff muscles and was tensed up, before the game, hence the decision to bench him for some few minutes before the start the game.

“He had stiff muscles and you cannot introduce him, although he was in the first 11. Kotoko was late traveling from Berekum to Dormaa, so we stood on the pitch for a very long time, this made the player developed that condition he was tensed,” he added.

Coach Tandoh was speaking in a post-match interview after their match day ten encounter in the Dormaa at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Stadium.

He discounted claims that he was trailing and matching the superstitious tactics deployed by Kotoko when they also kept a player back from starting the game in the first half thus, both sides fielding 10 players apart when none of the players have been shown a red card.

“I don’t believe in superstition. I’m a Catholic, a Christian and don’t believe in those things, superstition doesn’t play football, its character and what you employ on the field. We knew that we were stronger than them, so if they need 10 against 10 then we will play.

He said they came with a plan to pick the three points at stake and it worked to perfection.

“In the middle of the game we noticed that we started pushing and pressing, we sensed that they were not also coming so we decided that we would sit back and wait for them to come, then we take them on a counter.

“But occasionally those who are supposed to play from the flanks were not opening out because Samuel Bio was a ball joggler, Justice Anane was not finding his day very well as we discussed, “he added.

He added that the team came to play 4-1-3-2 formation but it didn’t work out.

"We brought half fit Bright Adjei, we needed to substitute him quickly because matches against Kotoko call for someone with character," he added.

Coach Tandoh added that he decided to bring in Kofi Gor and you notice that “we displaced them at the flanks and that was how the goal came about”.