A section of Chiefs in the Ashanti Region have challenged future administrators of Kumasi Asante Kotoko to be more innovative and proficient in running the club on purely business lines.
They were speaking at the Manhyia Palace at the weekend following the replacement of the Asare Owusu management with an interim six-member team to run the affairs of Kotoko.
They pointed out that this could be done by drawing up strategies that would make Kotoko financially sound to enable it attract and retain quality players.
Wondering why teams in North Africa in particular are able to attract and retain quality players, the Chiefs said Ghana is well endowed with talented players who would be eager to ply their trade in the country but inefficient management and their desire to seek their selfishness interest instead of satisfying the needs of players had always militated against the desire of up and coming players to play in the country.
The Chief of Asokore Mampong, Nana Boakye Ansah Debrah, who threw the challenge wondered why players who are attracted to Kotoko only stay for a few years and leave to play in Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa and other sister African countries .
Speaking at the Manhyia Palace when Otumfuo OseiTutu II, the Asantehene, met Mr Sylvester Asare Owusu and his management team to learn at first hand the problems that had caused Kotoko to slip down the Glo Premier league ladder from their second position to eighth, Nana Boakye Ansah Debrah said teams in Ghana could do very well provided their administrators developed keen interest in their players and devise means of motivating them.
Other Chiefs who made inputs at the Manhyia Palace, apart from Otumfuo Osei Tutu were the Paramount Chief of Offinso Traditional Area, Nana Wiafe Akenten, and the Ejisu Paramount Chief, Nana Afranie Okese IV.
After the Chiefs had listened to the five- member management team headed by Mr Asare Owusu and the problems they had created for the team due to their individual selfish interest, they suggested to Otumfuo Osei Tutu to dismiss the management team to pave way for a more proficient one to be appointed to enhance efficiency in the management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
“ Had Kotoko been run on business lines over the years, it would have had its own club house, training grounds and Secretariat to make it more formidable”
“ The players need motivation in terms of good salary, accommodation, winning bonuses , quality medical care and insurance, among others, to enable them focus on their play and deliver to the satisfaction of their fans.
“Soccer is now business- oriented all over the globe, and I am of the view that since this management had reneged on its core business to develop Kotoko to the satisfaction of all,
they should give way for a new one to be appointed to enable the club to be run purely on business lines,”the Asokore Mamponghene submitted.
He wondered what had become of the transfer fees of players who had left Kotoko in the last few years without good replacement and said it was only an efficient management that can make player transfer and recruitment benefit Kotoko.
Both Nana Wiafe Akenten and Nana Afranie Okese supported the Asokore Mamponghene and called for the dismissal of Mr Asare Owusu’s management, explaining that their failure to work together and initiate policies and programmes that would have inspired the players to deliver was a testimony that they had no business to do with Kotoko.
Responding to the calls to dismiss the Management team, Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed concern about the attitude of Mr Asare Owusu and his team, saying “ I appointed you to take control of Kotoko because of your individual achievements in life. I was of the view that bringing you together would enhance the performance of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, but lack of unity among you has caused the downward trend of the club , causing much disturbance among the supporters”.
“ Because of pettiness you did not establish any target to work towards ,woefully neglected players welfare and failed to find time to evaluate your performance to appreciate the need to address your shortcomings and improve upon your strength”, he lamented.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said when the team was appointed, he assigned specific responsibilities to each of them “ to enhance adequate income generation to enable you cater for the players, technical team, old players and also raise a nursing team that would feed the senior team, but because of your selfish interest, you failed to collaborate, giving meaning to all these concerns”.
Expressing concern about the attitude of the management team and why he was dismissing them, Otumfuo Osei Tutu said “ the players are more important because they are the engine that moves the team forward, but instead of making them receive media attention as expected to motivate them to deliver, you rather created all the media attention through your showmanship”. END
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