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Sports News of Thursday, 30 October 2014

Source: goal.com

Sevilla never planned a Kotoko friendly in October

Sevilla have announced their plans to tour the rest of the world in December to promote La Liga and never had plans to come to Ghana this October to play Asante Kotoko, Goal Ghana checks reveal.

Reports in the local media indicated that the general manager of the Kumasi-based club Opoku Nti told supporters in August his outfit will engage the Spanish side in an international friendly this month at the Baba Yara Stadium, but was called off due to the Ebola outbreak.

“We had wanted to play Sevilla in Kumasi this month but because of the outbreak of Ebola, it will not be possible for them to travel to Africa,” Nti told Joy FM.

Goal’s checks have it that La Liga side never had plans to travel outside Spain in October for any international friendly games and they never cancelled the alleged friendly as a result of the haemorrhagic fever that has ravaged West Africa primarily.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery said at a press conference Tuesday that his side may embark on a tour in December.

“Playing matches is good for us. Travelling is a normal thing in football. We [Sevilla] understand that we must promote our league. In last year we noticed that we are admired in other countries,” Emery said.

Goal understands that Oman is their first-choice country subject to the approval by the Spanish League Federation (LFP). The Oman trip looks likely because the Royal Spanish Football Federation has changed Sevilla's Copa del Rey match against Sabadell to make room for it.

Goal can reveal that the Asante Kotoko-Sevilla deal was being brokered by a former Kotoko player who lives in Sevilla and had wanted to bring down the youth side, but never made any official contact with the club's top hierarchy.