Asante Kotoko assistant coach Hamza Obeng has apologised to the club’s supporters following the Porcupine Warriors’ narrow defeat to Karela United in their latest league outing.

Kotoko suffered a 1-0 loss to Karela United at the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale, extending the club’s frustrating run at the venue where they have struggled to record a victory in recent years.

The defeat means Kotoko have not won a league match in Tamale since 2017, a streak that continues to haunt the Kumasi-based giants whenever they travel to the Northern Region for league fixtures.

The decisive moment of the match came late in the first half when Kotoko were reduced to ten men following a red card shown to Henry Ansu in the 40th minute.

Karela United capitalised on the numerical advantage almost immediately, scoring the only goal of the game shortly after the dismissal to take a lead that they successfully defended until the final whistle.

The defeat adds to a difficult run of results for Kotoko, who have now lost three of their last five league matches. Their only victory during that period came in a 2-0 win over Young Apostles, while other results have left the team struggling to maintain consistency in the league campaign.

Speaking after the match, assistant coach Hamza Obeng admitted the result was disappointing but urged supporters to remain patient as the team looks ahead to the next fixture.

“We are down with the result that we had today but it’s part of the game,” he said. “We need to put it aside and concentrate on our next match.”

Obeng acknowledged that the red card and the inability of the team to convert their chances proved costly in the encounter.

“Unfortunately for us, we were not able to put the ball in the back of the net and we conceded that easy goal at the time we were down by one man,” he explained.

Despite the setback, the Kotoko technical team remains optimistic about the club’s chances in the ongoing campaign.

“We are sorry for losing this game but the league title race is not over yet,” Obeng added.

Kotoko will now turn their attention to a crucial clash against city rivals Nations FC scheduled for Sunday, March 22, as they seek to bounce back from the defeat and revive their push in the league standings.