Football leagues are considered marathons as matches are usually spread over an extended period of time. Starting leagues well is a plus but it’s often the end that usually defines everything. That has been the case with Frank Etouga Mbella this season.
The Cameroonian striker was snapped up by Asante Kotoko in the off-season and signed a three-year deal for the Porcupine Warriors. However, the 20-year-old had to wait for five games before having his first taste of the Ghana Premier League.
The striker hasn’t looked back since and is currently the leading scorer in the league with 11 goals. What makes this feat more impressive is the fact that he’s done it in just 10 starts. Out of all the players to have featured in at least 500 minutes this Ghana Premier League season, Mbella has the best goal-to-minute ratio currently scoring a goal every 79 minutes.
The former AS Fortuna striker has already bettered his last season tally of eight goals and could become the first Kotoko player to win the golden boot award in the league for the first time in 13 years. Mbella is no stranger when it comes to scoring goals with the striker scoring 61 times in 30 games during his time at Nkufo Academy in Cameroon.
Ahead of the Super Clash on Sunday, Joy Sports’ data journalist Owuraku Ampofo breaks down all of Frank Mbella’s 11 goals this season.
1. vs RTU
Mbella announced himself to Kotoko fans in his first start against RTU scoring the opening goal of the game. The buildup to the goal gives an idea of the type of striker the Cameroonian is – he loves to explore space. But doing that well means he reads the game well at every instance.Frank Mbella goal vs RTU
He realises the center back steps up, leaving space behind, and immediately capitalises to burst forward. Although he receives a pass in behind, Mbella is closed down by three RTU players and the chance looks gone.
However, the striker improvises and opts for a snapshot with the outside of his foot which goes in off the post. Mbella didn’t have to look at the goal to produce such a precise strike – the mark of a proper finisher. At this point, the warning had been sent to the rest of the league that a poacher had arrived.
2. vs Legon Cities
If you’ve ever played as a striker professionally the one word you’ll keep hearing in training is to “anticipate”. As a forward player, you never assume a ball will be cleared or the cross is not going to come in this time. The best strikers are always on the front foot expecting something to drop their way.Frank Mbella first goal vs Legon Cities
This is a trait Mbella demonstrated against Legon Cities to perfection. The ball is hoofed upfield by a Kotoko defender and there is an impending aerial contest. Mbella anticipates his player will win that duel and positions himself where he’ll be through on goal.
As anticipated, the Kotoko forward wins the header and Mbella gets a 1v1 opportunity. What he chooses to do next is interesting. The 20-year-old shows composure by faking a shot that sits the keeper down before slotting the ball home. His second goal for the club but what’s more fascinating is the fact that Mbella went for another outside of the foot finish even when he had a gaping goal. A Luka Modric of strikers, perhaps?
3. vs Legon Cities
Against RTU, Mbella’s goal wasn’t enough to secure all three points as the newly-promoted side rescued a point. This time the former AS Fortuna striker made sure of the three points by taking matters into his own hands with the game level late in the second half.Frank Mbella second goal vs Legon Cities
Remember the advice to all strikers? Anticipate. Mbella does that to perfection again for his second goal. Stephen Amankona picks up the ball on the edge of the box and is forced wide but all along, Mbella is quietly staying ahead of his man hoping for a cross.
Amankona manages to squeeze a cross from the byline and Mbella is there to grab the winner. He gets ahead of his man and redirects the cross with his right foot – once again an unconventional finish from the Cameroonian.
4. vs AshGold
The purple patch seemed to have dried up a bit as Mbella went two games against WAFA and Aduana Stars without scoring. He quickly made amends by grabbing his first hat-trick for the Porcupine Warriors against rivals AshGold.Frank Mbella 1st goal vs AshGold
His first was a penalty which wasn’t too straightforward. He walked in the entire run-up to the penalty and never looked at the ball for a second, eyes were fixed on the keeper throughout. It takes a certain level of confidence to achieve that but when you do, the keeper stands no chance as the AshGold keeper was sent the wrong way.
5. vs AshGold
Mbella once again finds himself in the right place at the right time because he anticipates. Ampem DaCosta seems to have control of the situation in the penalty box but George Mfegue Omgba applies pressure and the AshGold defender panics.
The loose ball falls in and around the six-yard box and Mbella comes alive and reacts quickest to side foot the ball into an open net – the first time he doesn’t try anything out of the ordinary and goes for the simple finish.
6. vs AshGold
For the first time, Mbella scores with a header for Asante Kotoko. He’s not the tallest or most physically imposing striker you’d see around but his movement compensates that.
An in-swinging corner by Imoro Ibrahim is met by a diving header by Mbella at the far post as he completes his hat-trick. If you keep your eye on the 20-year-own when the corner is played, you’ll realise he’s tussling with a defender around the penalty spot. He shows strength and peels off and makes good judgment by making a diagonal run to the far post area.
Although it was a free header, Mbella had been closed down by the keeper and had a very narrowed angle to the target. He intelligently opts to head the ball onto the ground making it extremely difficult for the keeper to save it.
7. vs Great Olympics
Mbella shows trickery as he wins his side a penalty early in the game against Accra Great Olympics.Frank Mbella first goal vs Olympics
You just have to refer to goal number 4 against AshGold. Mbella uses the same penalty technique which once again leaves the keeper rooted to the spot.
8. vs Great Olympics
Maybe Mbella’s luckiest goal but probably the oldest saying in football is: “You make your own luck”. That’s exactly what the striker did for his second goal against Great Olympics.
He made a good near-post run to get ahead of his marker but Mfegue chose to cut it back instead to Richmond Lamptey who squeezed the ball into Mbella. The Cameroonian strike didn’t hit it cleanly and scuffed his effort which ended up going in off the keeper after hitting the post (the goal should have been awarded as an own goal but officials declared it as a Mbella goal).
9. vs Accra Lions
Mbella shows another dimension as a striker against Accra Lions in his first goal. He picks up the ball with his back to goal outside the penalty box and flicks the ball past an onrushing defender before going for a near-post finish.
All through that phase of play from the corner, Mbella kept demanding and showing for the ball, a mark of a confident player who knows he can make the difference.
Now back to the goal.Frank Mbella’s first goal vs Accra Lions
It’s the first time he’s scoring with his left foot and for a moment he did come across as someone who didn’t prefer to use his weak foot with all those outside of the boot finishes.
The control and power on the effort show Mbella’s left foot might be more lethal than he thinks – something he will later realise in the same game.
10. vs Accra Lions
After missing a late crucial penalty against Elmina Sharks, Mbella had another opportunity to make amends from 12 yards against Accra Lions. Once again, the Cameroonian was too quick handle in the box and won the penalty.Frank Mbella’s second goal vs Accra Lions
He stuck to his technique and didn’t change one bit. This time he was successful and sent the keeper the wrong way to hit double figures for the season.
11. vs Accra Lions
Mbella completes his second hat-trick in remarkable fashion after placing himself in between the two center backs. He makes a well-timed run and is picked out with a ball over the top.
His first touch sends him a bit wide and more towards his left side than he would have preferred. But as mentioned earlier, maybe it’s time he started trusting his left foot more. Mbella goes past the rushing keeper before hitting the top corner with a left-footed striker.
With a keeper in his way and two defenders rushing back to the goal post, the quadrant was his best option and he found it with aplomb.
Source: Owuraku Ampofo, Myjoyonline
