Kotoko to sweep Premier League awards Sat
Headline sponsors of the Ghana Premier League, First Capital Plus Bank (FCPB), insists league champions, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, will not be sidelined at the Premier League awards tomorrow at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra despite Kotoko’s failure to meet the obligations of the league sponsor.
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Nana Yaw Kesse, head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the bank told the Graphic Sports that all the 16 clubs as part of the terms of the sponsorship contract were expected to open and deposit all their gate proceeds into a FCPB account but Kotoko flouted the directive.
He said: “Kotoko will get all the awards they deserve as worthy league champions, they will not be punished just because they flouted the terms of the contract.
“We are delighted because all the other clubs complied but we have received assurances that Kotoko will do so in the coming season,” he said.
With this in mind, the league champions, Kotoko, who swept five gongs at the FA Cup awards and have nominees in six of the 11 categories announced by the Premier League Board, are expected to once again sweep the awards at the ceremony which begins at 6:30 pm.
In the Footballer of the Year category, Kotoko’s Seidu Bancey will battle New Edubiase United midfielder, Asiedu Attobrah, and Bechem United’s goal-machine, Augustine Okrah; who incidentally will be rewarded for his 16-goal haul as the Goal-King.
The Defender of the Year prize is a contest between Kotoko central defensive pair, of Kwabena Edusei Abeiku Ainooson, and Joseph Addo of Inter Allies; while Muntari Tagoe of Medeama SC, Stephen Adams of Aduana Stars and Kotoko’s Joseph Addo will battle for the Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
The Most Promising Player award has nominees such as Dennis Tetteh (Berekum Chelsea), favourite Prosper Kassim (Inter Allies) and Samuel Afful (Hasaacas) with Mas-Ud Didi Dramani (Kotoko), Herbert Addo (Inter Allies) and Yusif Abubakar (Heart of Lions) vying for the Coach of the Year.
Three clubs; Heart of Lions, Aduana Stars and Wa All Stars will contest for two separate awards in the Best Behaved Supporting Group and Fair Play Team of the Year categories.
Match officials were not left out, William Agbovi, Seidu Bommison and Cecil Fleischer and A.S. Malik, David Laryea and Ibrahim B. Adama battle for the Referee of the Year and Assistant Referee of the Year categories respectively while Samuel Opoku Nti (Kotoko), Eric Delali Senaye (Allies) and E. Yashin Laryea (Lions) are nominees for the CEO of the Year award.
The ceremony will be graced by the President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama.