As the seconds tick down to the final whistle, Abdul Karim Zito’s senses are heightened.
Like a star-nosed mole, all of Zito’s sensory receptors are activated. Even without the mole’s twenty-two fleshy appendages, he can still feel the weight of the ball, the pulse of his players with every dash they make, even if the action is 200 meters away.
When Stephen Amankona broke free down the right in stoppage time, Zito nearly spilled his guts out in the name of barking out instructions.
Eventually, when the referee’s whistle sounded for the last time, all those senses, summoned by the realization that Kotoko were within ninety minutes, possibly more, of winning the FA Cup, disappeared.
Down from the high of anxiety, Zito warmly embraces his technical staff and Chelsea’s led by Samuel Boadu.
Zito has won the competition before – with Dreams F.C in 2023, yet his desire to lift the cup again burns as bright as Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan.
That desire, perhaps, is borne out of the realization that this will mean more than the first.
You do not need to look too far to understand why.
‘‘I have left a place that had become home, to come back to my real home.’’
Those were Zito’s words at his unveiling three weeks ago and they are true.
Match winner: Kotoko’s Albert Amoah scored the decisive goal
A trophy-laden career, heroic status, brief coaching stint, and tragedy. Zito has lived through the full spectrum of emotions in his association with Kotoko.
As a player, Zito won five league titles, two FA Cups, and the CAF Champions League – the last of Kotoko’s two titles, across a nine years.
When he returned to the club in the early 2000s as an assistant coach, he won the league title again in 2006.
With titles, longevity, brilliant performances and unquestionable dedication, Zito meets all the requirements of a legend.
Yet, Zito knows, that if he can do it all again as a coach, he will have a comfortable spot on the club’s Mount Rushmore.
That is why this felt different, better even.
He does not have his hand on it, yet, but the prospect of winning the FA Cup for Kotoko as a player and coach across different generations is perhaps sweeter than the reality.
Sunday’s win was not the product of a vintage performance.
It was functional and mature at best. But it is every bit commendable.
Before Zito’s appointment, Kotoko had conceded seven goals in three previous matches, while scoring just three. They won just once, drew twice, and lost on two occasions.
Air marshal: Kwame Poku jumps for the ball in this aerial tussle
The numbers aside, Kotoko seemed to fade in matches and could not keep up with the intensity of games even though the Ghanaian league is typically played at a very slow pace.
They conceded three second-half goals, one in first half stoppage time and against Accra Lions, shipped in two in the first-half.
All of that has disappeared.
There is a distinctly noticeable freshness about the team.
Skeptics put it down to the ‘new manager bounce’ phenomenon.
If that is what it is, then Zito is milking it for all it is worth.
Against Accra Hearts of Oak and Berekum Chelsea, they appeared to have more gas in the tank in the second half than their opponents.
Of course, it helps when you have two of the best finishers in the country; Albert Amoah and Kwame Opoku.
A penny for Berekum Chelsea and Samuel Boadu’s thoughts.
Unlike Zito, Boadu has already won the MTN FA Cup twice as a coach (with Accra Hearts of Oak in 2021 and 2022.)
Samuel Boadu celebrates his first FA Cup title in 2021 after beating Ashantigold S.C in the final. A year later, he successfully defended the trophy with a 2-1 win over Bechem United in the final.
Regardless of that, Sunday’s defeat will sting like a bee.
He was two games away from winning the competition with two different clubs.
And just like Zito, this meant more.
The final months of Boadu’s reign as Hearts coach have tainted the fact that he won four titles (league title, FA Cup and Champion of Champions in 2021, and FA Cup in 2022) in addition to the President’s Cup, within a year and seven months.
Last year, Samuel Boadu took over a struggling Berekum Chelsea team midway through the season and finished third on the league table; finishing above Kotoko’s Prosper Ogum, who had the benefit of having absolute transfer authority and a full pre-season.
Within a year, he has transformed a relegation struggler into a competitive side, securing a third place finish, and has now made the semi-final of the MTN FA Cup – Chelsea’s best performance in the competition.
Despite being the only coach to have successfully defended the FA Cup since its return, Boadu still felt the pain of losing the semi-final
It may not have worked out, but this is not the end for Samuel Boadu.
Just as he said when he left Hearts of Oak, Boadu will be back to lift a trophy sooner or later.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
