Where dwells the truth in Kotoko now?
Is it not strange when management of a particular company keeps contradicting itself always? Is that a case where they seek to impress the teeming fans of Kotoko?
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How long can the lies and contradictions survive them as management? These are the few questions that come in mind in my little trip to melancholy.
My heart bled when I heard two prominent executive members in the current management of Kotoko contradicting each other over a particular programme under their watch.
How can the general manager report differently from what he gave his own Public Relations (PR) directorate to tell us the fans of the club? What is this about and why are they contradicting each other?
Then came a press release from their fold which reported that Kotoko had sealed a friendly match with a club in Spain. In the said press release, the name of the Spanish team was withheld, same as the date of the match, but the venue they said was the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. I put it to them that they were been economical with the truth as they have always done for truncating the name of the team from Spain and the date they were coming to honour the match.
I personally heard the general manager of Kotoko who granted an interview to Joy FM that the purported friendly match could not come off due to the Ebola outbreak. According to him, the executives of Seville have written to him that they were no longer interested in the match due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Over the same subject, Ali Maradonna, who is a member of the PR directorate, also said in an interview he granted to Metro FM that they could not honour the said match due to timing. According to him, plans were in place to play the match either on Otumfuo’s birthday or when Kotoko turns 80 next year.
Conversely, goal.com reported it differently. This authoritative global sports website revealed that Seville FC never made any plans of travelling to play in any competition with any club in Africa.
Again, Seville FC, nevertheless, made no reportage of any form of match against any tean from Africa on their website. Is this not an indictment on the image of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, two time African champions? So who is speaking the truth, is it the general manager or the PR officer? This brings about my question, where is the truth in Kotoko now? I fear and I tremble at the direction Kotoko is being taken by the current management!
Now what is happening? What I see now is that it has become a crime to comment on events in Kotoko. Why has that trend suddenly become a force in Kotoko? All I know is that Ghana is a democratic country and our Constitution allows freedom of speech. What has changed that under the stewardship of Mr Samuel Opoku Nti, anyone speaks his mind is causing treason in Kotoko? I admit that as human beings, we will continue to have dissenting views over situations but that do not suggest we are enemies. We only do not agree on issues and it must end there.
Now the impression is created that good players were being brought into the club since conquering Africa this time around is the main target. So I ask again, is that a realistic target?
Yes, I will say that some good players have being bought but these are individually brilliant players. The same cannot be said when a good team is made out from them. Invariably, the prospect of forming a good team from them resides in the technical team and to make them invincible becomes the responsibility of all managers of the club i.e. the board, management and the technical team not forgotting the fans.
I was pleased to see the match against Accra Hearts of Oak where we recorded four points plus two goals aggregate. Yes, it was an indication that we are preparing towards the champions league but I later realised that it we still have to play more of such matches. At this juncture, I will commend management for lining up about two international club friendlies.
I do not seek anybody’s downfall, my biggest dream is to wake up one day and see that my dear club, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, is once again crowned the champions of Africa. But this dream appeared to be attained but certainly, not now especially when we continue to have this management structure and its practises. This brings to mind why the board has not acted on the directives Otumfuo gave them. To the best of my knowledge, I know the board is the body that has Otumfuo’s mandate to govern the club and that Otumfuo did not give the club to Mr Opoku Nti. Also, during the board’s investiture, the King made it public that they should advertise the general manager’s position for brilliant and globally networked people to apply. The idea was that, it was time Kotoko was made to lock horns with the likes of Ahlys from Egypt, TP Mazembe, Zamalek etc.
I ask again, what is deterring the Board to act on those directives? Is it not appalling when we continue to have no befitting village for our players? The Adarkwa Jaachie project was supposed to save the players from the robbery they continue to suffer at the hands of armed robbers and the constant unprofessional lifestyle they engage in due to lack of monitoring. If these players were made to hire in an enclosed place where monitoring and securityis proper, the possibility of reducing the unprofessional lifestyles they sometimes led would be reduced.
I ask again, why had the project being left unattended to? Were we not made to believe that a revolution was going to introduce in contract execution with players?
That players were not going to sign less than three year contracts? That buyout clause which was pegged at $200,000 for the exit of players from the club was so bad. Frank Sarfo Gyamfi has a buyout clause of $150,000, so I ask why?
Rahim Ayew was once heard on air talking about his contract which according to him was nearing expiration and my investigation also revealed that it will end before the coming Christmas. So why did management sign just a year contract with him (Rahim Ayew), so I ask again, why?.
Finally, I will end with Abeiku Ainooson’s saga which is developing. How can management tell us that they signed a three year contract with him when in reality, they signed a two year contract with him?
“The lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry and save them”