We will not defend against FC Samartex, says Gold Stars coach Petros Koukouras

Bibiani Gold Stars head coach Petros Koukouras

Bibiani Gold Stars head coach Petros Koukouras says his players are highly motivated ahead of Sunday's regional derby against FC Samartex 1996 in the Ghana Premier League.

The Miners will travel to the Nsenkyire Sports Arena to face the Timber Boys in a Matchday Nine encounter, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 GMT.

Koukouras believes his side are ready for the challenge and wants them to demonstrate that their recent positive results are a product of hard work rather than luck.

"The players are very motivated. It's one of the derbies, and we want to prove that the last few good results didn't come by luck. So, everyone is ready for the game, and they really want to prove the point," he told the club's media.

The Greek coach also insists Gold Stars will not abandon their attacking philosophy despite the demands of playing away from home in a local derby.

He says the team will maintain its established principles while making the necessary tactical adjustments to deal with the challenges of an away fixture.

"For us, it's another game, although in the derby we approach it as a normal game. It can only give us three points, or we can only lose three points," he added.

"So the principles of play should remain the same as we had from the beginning of the season. They might be a little bit different because it's an away game.

"But we're not going there to defend. We should go to attack and score goals and try to win whatever positive result we can get there."