Following Asante Kotoko’s elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup campaign, a few people have directed their anger at the new gaffer for his inability to guide the side to the quarter finals of the competition while many have hailed him for his wonderful outing with the club.
The young gaffer has taken the flak from a few noisy ones who for no factual reasons have called for his head.
But I honestly think it is overly illogical to call for the head of the coach who was appointed five months ago and was not given a target to win the competition under that short period.
Yes, I have not hidden my admiration for CK Akonnor due to his technical and tactical progress. But that is not why I back him to stay on as Kotoko coach.
I do so because Akonnor is statistically the best Kotoko coach in the last 27 years and with just four months in office, he became the 4th coach to guide Kotoko to the group stage of any CAF club competition.
But for the defeat to ZESCO, which was understandable, Akonnor would have been the first manager since 2003 to take the club to the quarter finals of the competition.
Going into the final group game against ZESCO, Kotoko had lost four key players – 3 to injuries and one due to suspension. Yacouba was suspended while Baako, Ganiu and Senanu were all injured.
Apart from the injuries, most of the players were admittedly fatigued due to the travelling schedules of the club and the movement all over for the games.
So if a coach, under just four months will put such a team together, amidst all these challenges, to climb to the group stage of the competition where the club has not been able to reach in eleven years, what’s his crime?
I remember the Policy Analyst of the club, Amoh Sarpong insisting that Akonnor has justified his appointment as coach of the club following their qualification to the group stage. So where from these unnecessary attacks on the coach?
First of all, he was handed the job on October 1, and played his first game four days later against the Black Stars and the team has seen a tremendous change from that period.
Akonnor has succeeded in setting so many records with the club and was on the verge of becoming the first Asante Kotoko manager to secure quarter finals qualification in the competition in 16 years but for the last defeat to ZESCO United in Zambia.
Taking a critical look at the progress of the team and how they have succeeded in convincing their fans with their ‘Agro Ball’ to fill the stands during matches only gives an assurance of a better future for the club.
The club after announcing the appointment of Akonnor made it clear that he has been given a 3-year contract and his mandate is to build a good team that will be able to conquer Africa in his third year.
He was also tasked to win one league trophy and one FA Cup trophy within that period but must always be in the top two on the league throughout his tenure with the club.
With no competition in Ghana for the past nine months, Akonnor was expected to start a slow buildup of the team with next season’s league as his major target.
Suddenly, by virtue of their championship status as the FA Cup winners the previous season, and with just a month in office, Akonnor swiftly put a team together with some of the players entirely new for the competition.
Despite the short time, Akonnor in my opinion defied the odds to stage a remarkable outing in the competition, considering the opposition he met and how far he guided the team in the competition.
Below are the matches Akonnor played since taking over the Kotoko coaching job:
23 matches, 15 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats.
Friendly Matches
- Black Stars 3-0 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 3-1 Save Africa Child FC
- Akyemansa XI 0-2 Asante Kotoko
- Unicorn FC 0-2 Asante Kotoko
- Medeama SC 1-1 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 1-0 WAFA
- Kumapem Stars 0-3 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 3-0 Asokwa Deportivo
- Inter Allies 0-3 Asante Kotoko
- Ghana U23 0-3 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 3-0 Asokwa Deportivo
- Asante Kotoko 1-1 AshGold SC
- Asante Kotoko 2-0 Storm Academy
CAF Confederation Cup
- Kariobangi Sharks 0-0 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 2-1 Kariobangi Sharks
- Coton Sports Garoua 2-3 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 2-1 Coton Sport Garoua
- Al Hilal 1-0 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 2-1 ZESCO United
- Nkana FC 3-1 Asante Kotoko
- Asante Kotoko 3-0 Nkana FC
- Asante Kotoko 1-1 Al Hilal
- ZESCO United 2-1 Asante Kotoko
Is this the coach whose head is being demanded for by some people? Time is a good doctor.
