Nana Yaw Amponsah: Kotoko will dominate Africa again
The Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah, has hit the ground running after being officially introduced to a section of the club’s supporters last Friday in Kumasi, promising to run around the fortunes of the two-time African champions and make them very competitive on the continent again.
Among his first major tasks is to get the Porcupine Warriors to compete in the 2020/21 CAF Champions League competition and one of his immediate concerns will be to get the right players available for Kotoko ahead of their continental campaign in the midst of a recruitment ban by the club’s Life Patron and sole shareholder, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
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The Graphic Sports understands that at his introduction to the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace, the Kotoko boss made a passionate appeal to the club’s owner to relax a ban on player transfer he imposed on the club’s management to enable the technical handlers to strengthen the team ahead on their Champions League campaign.
The appeal by Mr Amponsah comes in the wake of the King of Ashanti Kingdom placing a temporary ban on recruitment by Kotoko when he appointed a nine-member board of directors led by Kwame Kyei. The freeze on recruitment, according to the Chief of Staff of the Manhyia Palace, Kofi Badu, would put an end to player attrition rate at the club and offer opportunities to the current crop of players to function.
Speaking at his inauguration last Friday, Amponsah promised to get Kotoko very competitive at all levels, including dominating Africa’s top club competition for an to opportunity to compete in the annual FIFA Club World Cup.
The Kotoko CEO believes such a high target can be achieved by pushing the club to the pinnacle of African football where the two-time African champions used to belong.
“I’m going to make sure Kotoko participate in the FIFA Club World Cup,” Amponsah said.
“The focus is to return the club to its glory days by dominating African football and that is what we are going to work on under my tenure,” he added.
During his tenure, Mr Amponsah wants to focus on strengthening four major areas of the club which he believes will usher in a new generation of continental beaters.
The areas of focus will be youth development, restructure the technical aspect of the club, energise the club’s support base, as well as make Kotoko very marketable in the international football world.