Players of Asante Kotoko walked backwards to the field
Asante Kotoko’s first defeat of the season has made headlines after conceding a late goal and a pre-match ritual that has sparked online outrage.
The Porcupine Warriors traveled to the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park to face Basake Holy Stars on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, and looked set to climb to the top of the Ghana Premier League table.
Richmond Somiah put Holy Stars ahead in the 48th minute, but Kotoko responded quickly when Kwame Opoku, returning from injury in his third match, equalized in the 52nd minute.
The match looked destined for a draw until Prince Tweneboah struck in injury time, handing the hosts a dramatic 2–1 win.
The result leaves Holy Stars with 9 points from 11 games in 17th place, while Kotoko remain fourth with 20 points.
Daniel Opare Retires: The star who shone early but faded quietly
However, the game’s most talked-about moment on social media was about an incident that happened before kickoff.
Kotoko players, after leaving the tunnel, turned and walked backwards onto the pitch in unison, a ritual that many fans found bizarre.
While Holy Stars also performed a pre-match ritual, kneeling before entering the field, it was Kotoko’s synchronized backward march that drew mockery online.
Supporters and commentators questioned the focus on rituals over skill, tactics, and preparation, joking about the connection between the odd display and the team’s late defeat.
Others expressed concern that such theatrics could impact the league’s credibility and deter potential investors.
Read some of the reactions below:
They still lost after all this😂😆
— Justice Kwame (@kwame0550) November 27, 2025
Some times some of these superstitions get out of hand. However,when players in the English premier league hop on one leg three times before they get into the field during substitutions or when coming in from the dugout or when they make a sign of the cross 3x before they enter…
— WKHKYD? (@profdublyn_zee) November 27, 2025
😭😂😂😂 Spiritual league
— Tyson.nie 📸🇬🇭🇳🇬 (@tysonphotoo) November 27, 2025
So how this impact the scores. In all these, you still lost anyways. Maybe next time, they should enter the field naked, and thereafter wear their jerseys on the pitch!
— Gameli 💥 (@RGameli77) November 27, 2025
GFA for stop all these nonsense. How do you get investors to put their money in a league where matches are not won based on player’s ingenuity, skill and coache’s tactics but on Voodoo and insha allah
— Mawulolo 🦅 (@vela_kt) November 27, 2025
They still lost 😂
— Addow (@durrell_TWGT) November 27, 2025
Spiritual Amateur league
— Wadrago (@Wad_rago001) November 27, 2025
FKA/JE
