Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has expressed his disappointment with the costly mistakes committed by his players in their 2-0 defeat to Aduana FC in Week Four of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
The Porcupine Warriors went into the encounter hoping to secure maximum points in front of their home supporters, but their plans were disrupted as early as the second minute when a defensive error gifted Aduana FC the opening goal.
Goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim was unable to deal with the situation effectively, allowing Stephen Amankona to capitalise on the mistake and put the visitors in front.
The early setback forced Kotoko to chase the game for most of the afternoon, while Aduana FC grew in confidence after taking the lead.
Aduana FC were, however, reduced to ten men in the first half, giving Kotoko a numerical advantage and increasing expectations that the home side would eventually find a way back into the contest.
Despite having an extra player, Kotoko were unable to convert their opportunities and break down the Aduana FC defence.
The home side continued to push forward in the second half, creating several opportunities as they searched for the equaliser, but the finishing touch was missing.
Aduana FC remained compact and dangerous on the counter-attack, and their approach eventually paid off late in the match when Seidu Saana finished off a quick attacking move to double the visitors’ advantage.
The second goal effectively ended Kotoko’s hopes of rescuing anything from the game and completed a frustrating home defeat for the Porcupine Warriors.
Speaking after the match, Tinkler admitted that his team made the game more difficult for themselves through avoidable mistakes, particularly in the first half.
“I think in the first half we committed mistakes. The goal we conceded was cheap. In the second half we had loads of chances, we had to take a lot of risks, but it just didn’t work. We made things difficult for ourselves,” Tinkler said.
The South African coach acknowledged that Kotoko had opportunities to change the outcome of the match but failed to take advantage of them.
He also recognised the unpredictable nature of football and urged his team to accept the result and move forward.
“But this is football. You are going to win some, and you are going to lose some. This is football,” the Kotoko coach added.
The defeat leaves Kotoko with more work to do as they seek to improve their start to the new Ghana Premier League campaign.
For Tinkler and his technical team, the performance will provide several areas to address, particularly the need to reduce individual errors, improve their efficiency in front of goal and make better use of opportunities when playing against a team reduced to ten men.
Aduana FC, meanwhile, earned a valuable three points from their trip to Kumasi after demonstrating resilience throughout the encounter.
The Dormaa-based side not only protected their early advantage but also managed to add a second goal in the closing stages despite spending much of the match with ten players.
The victory has moved Aduana FC to fourth position on the league table with seven points, leaving them just one point behind leaders FC Samartex.
Kotoko, on the other hand, are currently sitting 12th with five points from their opening five matches of the campaign.
The result will increase the pressure on the Porcupine Warriors to respond in their next league fixture, while Aduana FC will take confidence from their ability to secure an important away victory at one of the league’s biggest football grounds.
For Tinkler, the immediate task will be to ensure that the mistakes that contributed to the defeat against Aduana FC do not become a recurring problem as Kotoko continue their campaign.
