President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, Kwabena Yeboah has shared the secrets to making Asante Kotoko a dominant force again most especially across the continent.
Kotoko’s case is similar to a sleeping giant that needs to be awakened. The Porcupine Warriors were ever present in African Football, winning the Africa Cup of Champions Clubs in 1970 and 1983. Their overall performance along this stretch saw the FIFA backed IFFHS rank Asante Kotoko as Africa’s club of the 20th Century.
However the fortunes of the club have nosedived in the last 30 years. Aside winning a streak of domestic titles, Kotoko’s strong performance in Africa has waned triggering the need for a concerted effort to get the club back on track.
Quite recently, Otumfour Osei Tutu II (Overlord of the Ashnati Kingdom and Owner of the Club) through the Manhyia Palace announced a 9 member board to begin the new quest to get the club back to its old glory days.
The board made up of eminent persons will be led by Executive Chairman Kwame Kyei.
But even before they get to work, Kwabena Yeboah who is a staunch Kotoko follower has been sharing how the club can steer itself back to prominence in African football.
He told TV3 Sports that it all starts with the leadership structure that exists at the club.
“The poor structures and governance are the banes of the club. Without the structures you won’t be able to attract sponsorship”.
“When Kotoko was the best team in Ghana it was because Kotoko financially was the biggest. So Kotoko attracted the best materials from this country. Every player who was then good enough was then eager to play for Asante Kotoko”.
“All has changed and as we speak, Kotoko are not even able to attract the best of materials on the local scene, how are you able to compete in Africa, and season after season you’re losing all your players to the rest of Africa because your finances are so weak”.
“Until the finances get very very strong, and when I talk about strong finances I am not talking about shallow pockets, I am talking about deep pockets…I am talking about several millions of dollars and that is the only time Kotoko can compete favourably in Africa. That is where Kotoko must be striving to and not what we see right now” Yeboah concluded.
