Asante Kotoko head coach, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, lamented the impact of Serge Eric Zeze's injury during his team's 2-1 loss to Berekum Chelsea at the Golden City Park in Berekum.
Speaking at the post-game press conference, Ogum described Zeze's injury as a "big blow" for the team, emphasizing its disruptive effect on their gameplay.
The defeat marked the end of Kotoko's three-game unbeaten run and saw two of the league's top goalscorers, Steven Mukwala of Kotoko and Stephen Amankona of Chelsea, finding the net in the first half.
Mizack Afriyie sealed the win for Chelsea with a decisive header in the 96th minute.
“I think Zeze’s injury was a big blow to us because he’s played in that position (central midfield) for sometime now.
"He’s gotten the experience, he’s gotten the exposure, but then because he had to go out, we had to do a forced tactical substitution which I think we were able to keep the tempo but I think somewhere along the line we couldn’t maintain it.”
Looking ahead, Kotoko are preparing to face arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak next on Sunday, May 26 at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.