And so, finally, Asante Kotoko have their man.
The pursuit has been tiring and the wait long but, like many a Kotoko fan would tell you, that only makes the capture of midfielder Justice Blay all the more satisfying.
It was with a longing that the Porcupine Warriors had looked back to the 2019/20 season, during which Blay wore the Kotoko shirt and illuminated it with some stellar performances, the standout display coming against archrivals Accra Hearts of Oak.
If there were any regrets at all about that period, it was that the onset of COVID-19 — which ended that season barely halfway through the roster of games — denied Kotoko the fullness of Blay’s brilliance that they’d looked forward to enjoying after signing him on loan from fellow Ghana Premier League side Medeama.
Blay returned to his parent club, but neither the player nor Kotoko made any secret of the fact that they yearned to be together once more.
As they flirted, fluttering eyelashes at each other whenever they could, speculation about the possibility of a reunion never quite quietened.
![Kotoko close to signing Justice Blay from Medeama [Pure FM] — Ghana Sports Online](https://ghanasportsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Justice-Blay.jpg)
Medeama, it seemed, weren’t at all jealous; they set their price — a very high one at that — and were willing to let Blay and Kotoko lock themselves in their long-sought embrace, but only if the latter could meet that lofty valuation.
Kotoko couldn’t — or, rather, wouldn’t — and so the saga dragged on. The interest, though, never cooled — not after a change in Kotoko’s leadership, or even after Blay suffered a career-threatening injury last season.
And when Blay’s contract in Tarkwa eventually expired, it was obvious to all parties concerned that a renewal wasn’t ever on the cards; all Blay had on his mind was a return to Kotoko, and that dream has finally come true.
On Saturday, Kotoko made the long-awaited announcement of his arrival, nearly three weeks after Blay played his last game for Medeama.
A day later, just ahead of Kotoko’s latest league game against Medeama — and maybe it wasn’t entirely coincidental, was it? — Blay was unveiled at a Baba Yara Stadium that, though far from a full house, was absolutely rocking.
Kotoko won 1-0 — the margin of victory could have been wider, in fact, but for some remarkable bits of goalkeeping by Ivorian Boris Mandjui — but inspiring the loudest cheer, the greater reason for joy in the hearts of the departing home fans, was the club’s newest signing.
The debate about whether Kotoko actually need Blay (at a time when their midfield is packed with as much quality as could be found anywhere in the land) and another about whether he’s the same rare specimen that had Kotoko fans marveling the first time around (especially after his serious injury and all those months on the sidelines that followed) could be had later.
For now, a signing that, at least on paper, strengthens Prosper Narteh Ogum’s team and its claim to the 2021/22 league title — Kotoko are already league leaders, remember — is very, very welcome.
Blay is here now, Kumasi. Drink it in.
