FootyDream

Asante Kotoko Board of Directors are set to hold their next meeting Tuesday.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in Accra. This will be the third time the nine-member board will be holding a meeting since their announcement in May.

According to a report filed by Oyerepa FM, Nana Yaw Amponsah, who has been heavily linked to the vacant Chief Executive Officer position is expected to attend the meeting.

Reports in the local media suggest the new board of Directors have unanimously decided to appoint the Phar Rangers Bankroller to steer the day-to-day affairs of the club.

General Manager of Accra Great Olympics, Oloboi Commodore has taken a swipe at the Ministry of Youth and Sports for not being able to convince government to return football in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The football governing body suspended all its activities due to the novel coronavirus. At the moment it is yet to take a decision on the future of the 2019-2020 football season.

The hierarchy of the Ghana FA have met with government COVID-19 team to find ways of ensuring the game resumes but to no avail. The GFA has not convinced them much, according to reports.

However, according to the experienced football administrator, the GFA is struggling to get the green light because the Sports Ministry has not aided the Association with strong case which will convince the Government.

The hope of football administrators were dashed after the government extended the ban on social gatherings until July 31.

With the Ruling Government NPP holding its Primaries over the weekend and the kind of scenes that were reported or captured, Oloboi Commodore believes the game returning is long overdue.

“It is long overdue that the game will return, if you look at where problems are basically, they’ve been allowed to operate,” he told Asempa FM.

“Personally, I have gone to the markets and the social distance and other protocols are not working, so football which can be controlled should have been the first to return, we can even play with a limited number of spectators,” he acknowledged.

“Politicians are not sincere with the people, why allow mass voters registration at this stage when we cannot play football because of COVID-19,” he asked.

“What is happening in Ghana is due to the insincerity of politicians. They are not helping us.

“The Sports Ministry is also weak; we have a weak Sports Ministry. They have done nothing (to help our cause). Today they will come and tell you that look at Y.E.A , tomorrow the same story and it continues and continues.

“They have to be truthful to the people. You don’t want us to work (play football) but you are also not supporting with anything.

“The Ministry is weak because Youth plays football, Youth is in Sports, what they know is they will send a contingent when the national team is travelling,” Oloboi fumed.

Ghana Football Association Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum has responded to those who have criticized him for failing to grant interviews.

The West African country is flooded with many radio and Television stations and each normally wants the communications department of the football governing body to react or give further explanations to issues.

Some go to the extent of placing calls even at odd hours which if he fails is accused and lambasted for been biased or having a prejudice stance on some media houses.

Reacting to his critics, Asante Twum indicated that, the work of the communications director are much more than answering calls.

“There are media colleagues who think the GFA Communications Director is supposed to answer all calls and grant interviews all the time,” he told Takoradi-based Skyy Power 93.5 FM.

“So when you wake up in the morning they expect you to just be by your phone from Monday to Friday so you grant interviews from Fanteakwa, Bechem and Bolga etc, that’s what to them, is the definition of a Communications Director, which is not the case,” he stressed.

He also described the structure of the communications department at the Association.

“Under me [my office], I am supposed to have someone directly responsible for Public Relations, another person directly responsible for Digital Media of the FA,”

“It is huge, in the past we didn’t pay attention to strengthening and equiping the department,”

“I am praying the Ex-Co, as they have promised, will consider, they will discuss, and hopefully, approve the new structure I have submitted,” he concluded.

The Ghana Football Association has released a data indicating that, the football industry employs more than 70,000 Ghanaian footballers that helps in the socioeconomic development of the country.

According to the presentation, the Ghanaian top-flight employs 1,019 footballers, while the Division 2 and Division 3 leagues provide over 60 per cent of the footballers in the country with a total of 43,700 footballers.

The presentation again showed that Ghana’s second-tier league employs 2,353 while the Women’s football had a total of 600 players.

Juvenile Football which has been discribed as the bedrock of Football development in the country comes second with 32.5% of the employed Footballers numbering 23,000.

The data released by the Football Association does not include other members of the Football clubs such as Coaches, Administrators, medical and other essential service providers.

Head coach of Ashanti Gold, Thomas Duah has confirmed that the playing body and Technical Team will undergo a mandatory COVID-19 tests when the return to camp for training.

Football activities in the country have been suspension since 15 March 2020 due to the outbreak of the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to ensure that football return in the West African country have proved futile.

The government of Ghana has extended ban on social gatherings until July 31, 2020 in a bid to curb the deadly disease. The Ghana Football Association is set to announce a decision on the 2019-20 football season on June 30, 2020.

However, the trainer of the Miners – Thomas Duah – has disclosed that, the club has planned in advance to ensure the safety of the players, Technical team and other officials.

“We have informed our players and staff everyone will be tested including Covid-19 before training, its mandatory,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.

The Ghana Premier League season was suspended after the week 15 games.

Defender, Habib Mohammed has disclosed that people discouraged him from swapping AshantiGold for Kotoko when the Porcupines came knocking on his door in 2019.

The Black Stars centre back attracted interest from the club towards the middle of the 2018/2019 Confederation Cup, which led to a call being made to him directly for his consent.

 
According to the Sunyani-born player, though he dreamt of donning the red jersey, crossing carpet from our regional rivals was a difficult decision to make as some people thought that he could not make it here.

“I heard a whole lot of negatives stories,” Habib revealed to Kotoko Express App. “Kotoko called me and I directed them to speak to my Manager (former Kotoko player, Yusif Chibsah). Deep inside, I was very happy because it had long been my dream to play for Kotoko. But, I was also surprised because I thought that the opportunity had come quite too early in my career.”

“I consulted a lot of people for advice and most of them told me to turn down the offer because, according to them, historically, no player from Sunyani has succeeded in Kotoko.”

“That left me in a dilemma because on one side was a boy who loved challenges and wished to play for his dream club and on another, was a confused boy who seemed afraid of what the future held for him. I committed everything to prayers and my manager and my family came in to convince me to make the move.”

Habib had a difficult start to life in his early days at the club, but he persevered and now a remarkable streak of performances in the suspended 2019/2020 Premier League has landed him a call up into the country’s senior national team.

“To say I have regretted joining Kotoko, I will say never,” continued Habib. “I had some hard times, especially in my first season but I stayed strong. I believed that every hard time leads to joyful moments so I was calm. I have never regretted the decision to join the club and I will continue to work hard to achieve the many dreams I have.”

SOURCE: Kotoko Express App