It looks as if the bug that hit Manchester United forcing them to surrender a number of their hitherto impeccable records has hit Ghana’s champion club Kumasi Asante Kotoko. As if on cue, Asante Kotoko has quickly surrendered their impressive home record this season and half way through the Premiership they have lost three home matches already, their worst home performance in half a century.

Traditional rivals Accra Hearts of Oak were the first to puncture Kotoko’s seemingly home invincibility on Feb 8 with a neat 2-1 win and this was followed by another surprise 2-1 defeat at the hands of Sekondi Eleven Wise on March 11. If the Eleven Wise defeat was a surprise then the third home loss to Swedru All Blacks, a 2-0 whipping on April Fools Day was really stunning.

The records will show that even though All Blacks have once beaten Kotoko by the same margin in the 1998 league at Swedru, their best performance in Kumasi was a 1-1 draw on March 11 1974. The proverbial “Black Magicians” have always succumbed to Kotoko and last season for instance Kotoko won 3-0 in Kumasi and snatched a 3-1 away win at Swedru.

While football analysts regard such shocking results as splendid tonic for competitive football, supporters of the elegant clubs who are used to victories are not enthused at all.

Kotoko fans for example regard the defeat to All Blacks as a bad omen coming on the eve of a Champions League match against Khemiset of Morocco this weekend.

A section of the fans tried to cause some commotion after the match and club officials had a tough time explaining that it was not easy combining the local league with the continental series.

Observers however believe that the wide publicity being given to a supposed board room wrangling is making supporters jittery and it would be a good idea if the custodians of the club would come out openly to clear the air and calm the nerves of the worried fans.

Don’t let us forget that football followers are a passionate lot and the least misunderstanding can generate into a raging inferno difficult to control.

Meanwhile, the Premier League Board deserves congratulations for a successful first round. It is hoped that the next round would see a more careful planning to contain the numerous international matches leading to the Cup of Nations in Angola and the World Cup in South Africa.

Accra Hearts of Oak can walk with chests up for they have really set a cracking pace in the competition. If the trend continues like this, the cup could be presented to them by the middle of the second round. Coach Papic is gradually turning the team into its winning way that saw them winning the cup six times in a row during the turn of the century. They can do it again.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.