Coach Prosper Narteh Ogum of Asante Kotoko believes the penalty granted against Hearts of Oak was justified.
After Fabio Gama was hauled down in the area by Nurudeen, the Porcupines warriors Kotoko were given a penalty 13 minutes into their match versus Hearts of Oak.
Referee Kennedy Padi’s ruling sparked a lot of debate among fans, who believed it was excessively harsh.
However, in response to the referee’s judgment, coach Ogum declared that the decision was legal under the rules of the game.
The Kotoko coach stated that “From my technical area there was a contact and once a player has the ball and is in the penalty area and advancing towards goal and the slightest of contact can make him imbalance and lose the ball.”
He added, “the player brought him down and the law says it is a penalty. Penalties are part of the game.”
The coach, on the other hand, bemoaned his team’s inability to convert their opportunities in the game. Kotoko dominated the game, according to him, but the players were in a hurry to score.
“We were in a haste to score; we created more chances that they were supposed to poke the ball into the net but they couldn’t,” he said.
“In high profile matches like this it happens and they lose their awareness but, I am happy that we dominated play and we created more goal-scoring opportunities,” Coach Ogum stated.
