Interim coach of Asante Kotoko, Johnson Smith, has revealed that he had to replace Brazilian midfielder Fabio Gama in the second half to protect him.

Gama was replaced by Naby Keita after 70 minutes of action at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Three minutes after he was substituted, Samuel Bio scored the winner for Aduana Stars to inflict Kotoko their first home defeat of the season.

Gama was lively for the Reds but Coach Johnson Smith feared the Brazilian will be injured following the tackles he received from players of Aduana.

"The boy is being bullied so much so we need someone strong who can support Poku because Poku struggles all alone upfront," he said after the game.

The 28-year-old Brazilian is gradually winning the hearts of Kotoko fans with his sizzling displays.

He grabbed an assist on his debut for Kotoko against Liberty before producing a good performance at WAFA in the 1-1 draw in Sogakope.