Board member: We need support to make Kotoko great again
A board member of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Mr Kwadwo Boateng Genfi, has assured that the club would be great again with the support of the entire porcupine fraternity.
Board’s commitment
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He noted that all the 12 board members had so far shown commitment towards making the club great again by the end of their three-year mandate.
Unflinching support
He, therefore, urged the teeming supporters of the Porcupine Warriors to rally behind the board and management in their bid to restore the club to its glorious past.
“My fellow Kotoko fans, I’m a fan like you and since we are all looking for success, we are going to do this job with you. It’s a matter of all hands on deck.
“We are a great club; Kotoko, to me, is greater than anything in Africa, and when they (opposing clubs) come to Kumasi we put fear in them. We want to recreate that life and excitement and we can only achieve that with your support,” Mr Genfi appealed in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday..
Understanding
“Give us the maximum support, continue to show us love and have an understanding because the job at stake is huge. We want to do it to make things happen and we can only succeed when you also understand us.
“So please even if we lose some matches just have that understanding that it’s just the beginning,” he explained.
Full-blooded Kotoko fan
The board chairman of the Exim Bank, who disclosed that he is a full-blooded Ashanti with Kotoko in his blood, stressed the need for a telepathic understanding between management and supporters of the club at all times to ensure the fulfilment of the board’s objectives.
“If there is that good rapport between us and yourselves (supporters), we will definitely succeed and Kotoko will be great again and we can all laugh.
Expectations
“One man told me that with this board, “I am not going to throw my fufu away everyday; and another told me that if you don’t deliver for us, we will come and burn your factory,” he recalled in reference to the level of expectation of Kotoko supporters.
“We know the job at stake is enormous so please bear with us at this early stage and I can assure you that the excitement we all used to enjoy back in the days of Papa Arko, Joe Debrah, Kofi Nti, Opoku Nti, Opoku Afriyie, Osei Kofi, and the rest will return.
“We want to bring that feeling back;” the highly-confident director emphasised.
History
He recalled with nostalgia how Kotoko used to fill the Kumasi Stadium to an overflowing measure during continental matches to the extent that fans had to climb the pylons to catch a glimpse of their stars.
“I remember back in the days when people used to climb the pylons at the Kumasi Stadium during international matches and that brought fear into our opponents.
“I was watching one match - I think Kotoko and El Ahly - I was sitting beside one of their top men and he told me there is football fanaticism in Egypt but he has not seen anything like this before where people climb that high to watch a match,” he added.