FROM THE BOARDROOM
(Lucky 65!!)

Fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko  2 Togo Hawks 1

I repeat we are 65 years old this year and we have been celebrating it by taking on all comers! On Sunday we played and beat the Togolese National side, the Hawks. This was a remarkable victory and one, which showed the progress we have made since the arrival of Ernst Middendorp. In celebrating our 65th year we added the very important and prestigious scalp of the Togolese National side to those of Dragons of Benin and Julius Berger.

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FROM THE BOARDROOM
(Information, learning, understanding,  the truth and hope !!)

information and understanding
Kotoko  1  Kwaebibirim  0

On September 24th Kotoko were 65 years old. Although we announced at the beginning of the season that we would use the whole year to celebrate our 65th birthday, last Sunday’s victory over Kwaebibirim was important. They came as the sacrificial lamb for the slaughter and they were slaughtered. The match was completely one sided and had it not been for the awful Tema Park and the numerous missed opportunities the score could have been much higher. Without an array of players, which included Alex Djane, Kweku Duah, Michael Osei, Adu Poku, Osei Boateng, Atsou Frank, Felix Yeboah, Humphrey Amoah and Cambou Clovis, Kotoko found great difficulty in scoring. As a birthday present our supporters went home happy. Our programme is still on course. We are perhaps a little ahead of schedule. In terms of our on the field efforts we stated at the beginning of the season that we expected Hearts, Goldfields, Dwarfs and Olympics to be the leading contenders. By inference I then looked at RTU and Okwahu as being the teams we would be battling with as we embarked on our rebuilding programme. As it turns out Olympics and Dwarfs have not faired as well as predicted and it is rather King Faisal and Ghapoha who have done particularly well. As at now Kotoko is in third place. Not bad for a side rebuilding!

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FROM THE BOARDROOM
(you were warned!)

As I sat at the Treudelburg Golf and Country Hotel in Hamburg with Ernst Middendorp, Holger Hieronymus, Tony Yeboah, Richard Twerefuor and Wofa Yaw (Tony’s Uncle) Ernst made a statement which convinced me that he was the man for Kotoko. He said “do you expect me to bring Bundeslega standards to Ghana or to coach at a lower level”. I said that I expected the best and nothing less. He sighed a huge breath of relief! For those who did not realise it before Ernst Middendorp is a very serious man indeed. At a young age of 42 he has achieved more than virtually any coach in Africa. His exploits in taking Bochum in Germany from the third division to the first division and Bielefied from the second division to the first division are now legendary. He is in Ghana because he believes in the future. He is here because important and influential people like Holger Hieronymus of Hamburg convinced him that he could trust me and that Kotoko was no ordinary team. Ernst is a current Bundeslega Coach and that shows in his application to his job!

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FROM THE BOARDROOM
(One down many more to go)

On Wednesday Kotoko became the inaugural Champions of the Kofi Annan Trophy when they beat Dwarfs 2-1 on aggregate. Although we lost 1-0 on the day we took the trophy by dint of having won the first leg in Kumasi 2-0. All of Kotoko was ecstatic because it means we will be able to present Otumfuo Osei Tutu II with this trophy. The first of the season. A case of one down many more to go. In the good old days winning trophies was second nature to Kotoko. We are trying to take Kotoko back to those days. This match will be played for annually. The match itself was very tight with both teams trying to control the midfield. We continued to give our youngsters a try. The future will be dependent on how these young players can fit into Kotoko today. Although they clearly not start in most matches their supporting cast this season will be key for the future. There were some great passages of play. We do need the return of our more experienced players to buttress the team. The experience will give the youngsters the added confidence and support when they come on to the field to enable the best to be brought out of them. When under pressure it was clear to see David’s influence on the structure and direction of the team. One aspect of our game that I found most comforting was the communication between the players. The teamwork and spirit was great to see.

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FROM THE BOARDROOM
(Let’s not get carried away)

Kotoko’s participation in CAN 2000 continues to have great relevance for both Club and Country. Our opening match against Goldfields was undoubtedly the reason why Oseikrom was full on Sunday. The attendance the following day was predictably low because of the fact that the match was played mid afternoon on Monday. Many supporters also complained that they had spent the best part of the previous day at the Stadium and were exhausted. Others mentioned that they had to plan their finances to enable them plan watch “other” more interesting matches.

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FROM THE BOARDROOM

This week I went to the SSNIT Hospital in Osu to see my old friend and sometime adversary Alhaji Jawula. My friend had been admitted with High Blood Pressure.  Some people were surprised to see me going to visit the GFA Chairman. I was surprised that they were surprised. Disagreement and criticism should be seen as progressive where possible. This is where you seek change and not destruction. This is also where you can be strong and yet still be on talking terms with the people you criticise.

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