Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler says his team must remain focused on the factors within their control as they prepare for a difficult Ghana Premier League encounter against FC Samartex at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena in Samreboi.
The Porcupine Warriors travel to the Western North Region on Sunday for their Matchday Three fixture, hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the 2026/27 league campaign.
Kotoko opened the season with a 2-2 draw against debutants Debibi United before securing their first victory of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Heart of Lions at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
That leaves Tinkler’s side with four points from their opening two matches, while Samartex have made a perfect start, winning both of their games to sit near the top of the league table.
With the two teams separated by only a few points, Sunday’s encounter could have an early impact on the shape of the league table.
Tinkler, however, is refusing to allow the long journey to Samreboi or Samartex’s impressive start to distract his players from the task ahead.
The South African coach says the team must concentrate on the aspects of the match they can influence.
“I said to the players we need to think about focusing on the controllables,” Tinkler said ahead of the game.
The Kotoko coach acknowledged that the trip itself presents a challenge, with the Porcupine Warriors having to travel a considerable distance before facing an opponent that has started the season strongly.
However, he believes complaining about the length of the journey will not help his team when they eventually step onto the pitch.
“We can’t control the fact that the trip will be a very long trip that is just a fact and we have to accept it but we’ve got to try to make the best of it,” he added.
Tinkler is also aware that Samartex will provide a different test from the teams Kotoko have faced in their opening two matches.
The Timber Giants have won both of their league games and will be playing in front of their home supporters, making the encounter one of the early stern tests of Kotoko’s campaign.
The Kotoko coach has therefore warned his players that they cannot afford to approach the match casually.
“Playing against Samartex is not going to be an easy game but our actions will determine the results,” Tinkler said.
His comments come after Kotoko showed both positive and negative aspects in their 2-1 victory over Heart of Lions last weekend.
Although the three points were important, Tinkler admitted after that match that his team struggled defensively and could have paid a heavier price against a more clinical opponent.
He criticised Kotoko’s defensive approach, particularly their understanding of when and how to press against an opponent using movement and rotations.
“Disappointed with our defensive approach. Understanding when to press, how to press, the shifting, all of those things should have been better, especially against the rotational play that they create,” Tinkler said after the Hearts of Lions game.
The coach explained that Heart of Lions created problems by moving players away from their conventional positions, making it difficult for Kotoko’s defence to maintain its shape.
“The wingers don’t function as wingers; they come inside. The two eights literally are making runs in behind. The striker doesn’t play as a striker; he comes into pockets,” he explained.
Tinkler also identified communication and tactical discipline as areas that Kotoko must improve.
“Communication, all of these things. And for some of our players, it’s that tactical discipline hasn’t been taught to them. So it takes time for them to understand their roles,” he said.
The coach knows such weaknesses could be exposed again if opponents study Kotoko’s early-season performances.
“If other teams are going to see what happened today as a weakness, they’re going to look to try and exploit it. So we need to fix it so that it doesn’t happen in the next game,” Tinkler warned.
That warning will be particularly relevant against Samartex, who have started the campaign with confidence and will be determined to protect their unbeaten record.
The fixture also carries some history from last season, when Samartex took four points from their two meetings with Kotoko, including a 2-1 victory at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Kotoko will therefore be looking to avoid another setback against the Timber Giants while continuing their own unbeaten run.
The Porcupine Warriors also have the benefit of having former Samartex striker Emmanuel Mamah in their squad. Mamah moved to Kotoko during the offseason and could face his former club in what adds another interesting subplot to Sunday’s encounter.
For Tinkler, however, the focus remains firmly on the collective performance rather than individual storylines.
Kotoko will need to improve their defensive organisation, maintain their attacking threat and handle the physical and logistical demands of the trip if they are to return to Kumasi with maximum points.
The coach has already acknowledged that there is still considerable work to be done as he continues to build his team.
After the opening-day draw against Debibi United, Tinkler defended several aspects of his team’s performance despite dropping two points.
“Was the performance better than what I’ve seen from the team last season? Yes. Did we compete against Debibi? Yes. Did they overrun us? No. Did they deserve to win the game? No. So there’s a lot of positives that I can take from that game,” he said.
But following the narrow victory over Heart of Lions, he was equally candid about the areas that needed improvement.
“Different circumstances today; possibly we could have lost the game. Must be honest,” Tinkler admitted.
Those lessons will be put to the test when Kotoko meet Samartex.
With four points from two matches, the Porcupine Warriors have made a positive start under Tinkler, but the trip to Samreboi provides an opportunity to demonstrate how far the team has developed in a short period.
Samartex, meanwhile, will be seeking to continue their perfect start and strengthen their position among the early leaders.
For Kotoko, the objective is clear: stay focused, execute the game plan and allow their performance on the pitch to determine the outcome.
As Tinkler puts it, the journey cannot be controlled, the opponent’s form cannot be controlled, but “our actions will determine the results.”
