Asante Kotoko’s title charge took a heavy blow on Tuesday morning as they fell 2-1 at home to F.C. Samartex in a rescheduled clash at the Baba Yara Stadium.
What began as a simple continuation of a rain-halted game from Monday ended as another bruising chapter in Kotoko’s troubled home campaign.
Samartex strike in an empty cauldron
With the stands sparsely populated and the atmosphere strangely flat, Samartex seized control after the restart. On 54 minutes, Christian Boateng broke the deadlock, punishing hesitant defending to silence what little noise there was inside the Baba Yara.
Kotoko, chasing the title and desperate to make up ground on Bibiani Gold Stars, never truly settled. The urgency was there; the clarity was not. Passes went astray, attacks broke down, and Samartex grew in confidence with every wasted Kotoko move.
The visitors sensed vulnerability and refused to sit back.
Six minutes from time, they landed what looked like the decisive punch. Emmanuel Mammah finished off another incisive move to make it 2-0, a goal that felt like a verdict as much as a scoreline. Kotoko’s defence stood rooted; Samartex celebrated a job seemingly done.
Late drama, missed penalty, and a red card
Then came chaos at the death.
Deep into stoppage time, Elvis Kyei-Baffuor drove into the Samartex box and went down under a challenge. The referee pointed to the spot. Samartex midfielder Samed Kyei saw red for the tackle, leaving the visitors to finish with ten men and Kotoko with a lifeline.
Up stepped captain Samba O’neil, carrying the weight of a club’s hopes on his shoulders.
He missed.
The chance to set up a frantic finale, to snatch something from a wretched morning, vanished in an instant. The Baba Yara, already subdued, sank further into disbelief.
Albert Amoah did manage to pull one back with a consolation goal moments later, restoring a measure of pride but not altering the outcome. The whistle followed soon after, confirming another damaging home defeat.
Kotoko wobble as Samartex climb
The numbers tell their own story. This was Kotoko’s fifth home loss of the season, a statistic that would have been unthinkable in more dominant eras.
In the table, Samartex’s reward is significant. They move up to 7th place on 41 points after 28 matches, tightening their grip on a solid mid-table position with the look of a side that can trouble anyone on their day.
Kotoko stay 4th on 43 points, now eight adrift of league leaders Bibiani Gold Stars. The gap is no longer a minor concern; it is a real problem for a club that measures seasons by trophies, not near-misses.
A rainy postponement, a near-empty stadium, a missed penalty, and another home defeat. For Kotoko, the question now is blunt: can this team still turn a faltering campaign into a serious title fight, or has Tuesday morning marked the moment the chase truly slipped from their grasp?
