BYC Football Media: Barrack Young Controllers President Sekou Konneh is bent on setting the record straight with issue of bribery allegation against his team after Kotoko went down in regulation in Monrovia in their second leg tie of the CAF Champions League 2014. BYC Football inflated pins and frustration to Ghanaian side Kumasi Asante Kotoko yesterday in Monrovia after full time of play.
Professor Sekou Konneh, spoke to bycfootball.org expressing is his disappointment about the situation and the plot of Ghanaian especially the media to tarnish the reputation of his side after they have lost their second leg encounter to BYC Football.
ProfessorKoneh speaking also to a local Ghanian fm station – Hot fm ,said the club did nothing of such and had no contact or any communication with any player of kotoko at no time of their stay in the country.The Liberian club scored late to progress in the Champions League on the away goals rule having been beaten 2-1 in the first leg against the Ghanaian champions.Rumours fast gaining grounds in Ghana however suggests that goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama was compromised with a bribe before the Sunday’s match in Monrovia.Officials of the Liberian club are alleged to have handed a $3000 bribe to goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye to throw the game by conceding a cheeky goal.This was reported on Ghanasoccernet.com.
But BYC President Professor Konneh has debunked these unsubstantiated claims – saying Kotoko lost the game fair and square.“I’m very disappointed to hear this news coming from Ghanaians, Konneh told Hot FM.“Ghanaians are too intelligent to come up with these false claims.“I didn’t expect this from Ghanaians. At what point in time will I meet the goalkeeper (Soulama) when he is stacked to his team.“Did we meet or talk to him at the airport or their hotel or where?“It is outrageous that we didn’t bribe a referee but rather a player. Kotoko didn’t play a good game in Liberia.“They played better in Kumasi but were poor in Liberia. They deserved to lose.”
BYC are only making a debut appearance in the CAF Champions League following their domestic league triumph last season.The club have now attracted the attention of the world following their progress in Africa’s flagship club competition at the expense of the renowned Ghanaian giants who have failed to successive campaigns to get into the group stage of the Champions League.Kotoko fans and Ghanaian sports fans will have look at the game in a professional way and accept the defeat of the one time Africa big name club.
Meanhwile Ghanasoocernet has also reveal that Chairman of the powerful Asante Kotoko Executive Club 50 Paul Asamoah has taken a stinging potshot at the administrative style of interim boss Samuel Opoku Nti, describing allegations of bribery against goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama as ‘diversionary’ tactics.
The Burkinabe shot-stopper is rumoured to have been influenced to throw their CAF Champions League return leg away against Barrack Young Controllers.The 33-year-old has been accused of conceding a cheap goal in their 1-0 defeat in Monrovia which ensured the Liberians qualified to the next phase of the qualifying campaign.
However, the chairman of the powerful supporters group, Paul Asamoah has rubbished such reports, claiming the current management team are deploying diversionary tactics to save their own blushes.“It’s unfortunate that people will try to throw mud at someone who has been so committed to Kotoko,” Asamoah told Accra-based Peace FM “They (management) are responsible for the spread of such rumours. It’s a deliberate ploy to shift the focus from them for their poor performance.
“The current management headed by Opoku Nti are simply not up to task. I have said on a number of occasions that he (Opoku Nti) cannot do the job.“How do you give a big club like Kotoko to someone like Opoku Nti to run? I mean no disrespect, but he lacks the managerial skills to manage a great brand like Kotoko.“He was a fantastic player during his days for both club and country and I respect him for that.“But to be a manager of Kotoko, I beg to differ. The criticism should be directed at them (management), not Soulama.“Like I said it’s a calculated attempt to shift the criticism from them and create an impression that someone other than them is responsible for our early exit from the Champions League.
He added: I feel so sorry to be a supporter of Kotoko at this moment. The foundation had been laid for these people and look at how they have dismantled the confidence of the rank and file of the supporters.”The Executive Club 50 is a group of top businessmen who make significant financial contribution to the club.