There was pressure – Prince Owusu admits Kotoko felt heat after Hearts of Oak loss

Interim head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Prince Owusu, has opened up about the pressure his players carried into their clash against Young Apostles, following the disappointment of last week's Super Clash defeat to Hearts of Oak.

Kotoko bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday, securing a 2-0 victory over Young Apostles in Wenchi. The result lifted the Porcupine Warriors from fifth to fourth place in the Ghana Premier League standings, cutting the gap to leaders Medeama SC to seven points.

Speaking after the match, Owusu admitted that the weight of the previous result was heavy on his squad but praised their mental resilience.

"It means a lot.

"This is my first win; definitely make people recognise what I can do," Owusu said.

"There was pressure after the Hearts loss; the players felt it so we tried to talk to them to forget about the pressure and then concentrate on the formation that we wanted to play."

The coach, who stepped up from his role as assistant following Abdul Karim Zito's resignation, credited his players for executing the game plan under difficult circumstances.

"They listened to us and it worked perfectly today for us."

The victory provides a much-needed boost for Kotoko as they seek to keep their faint title hopes alive while offering Owusu a first taste of success in his new role.