Asante Kotoko Captain, Felix Annan, has commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for placing a ban on purchases of new players into the club for at least one season.
The Manhyia Palace has informed the new board of directors not to make any new signings until further notice.
However, Felix Annan believes that the King’s decisions is good since it will bring consistency and proper team building.
“We are just players and we are here to do our job, and cope with the directives that come from the hierarchy of the club,” Annan tells Kotoko Express App.
“I do agree with the directive because consistency is good for team building. It will be good for us if we have a consistent team.”
However, Annan believes that the club, at some stage, may need reinforcement. And so pleads that the King relapses the order if when need be.
“However, if there is the need to augment the squad with one or two players, I think that will not be a big problem. Buying too many players does not help in having the cohesion the team deserves.”
“But the one or two additions, If needed, I think the board can discuss that with Otumfuo because, in football, you can’t predict when an injury will occur.”
“However, I agree with the King’s idea because we need to be able to keep a group for a long time. Moreover, as players, we are ready to give our best to achieve whatever we want to achieve together.”
The supporters wing of Asante Kotoko, National Circles Council have pleaded to the Life Patron of the club Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to revise embargo on recruitment of players.
His Majesty, through the Chief of Staff Kofi Badu during the inauguration of the new Board of Directors for the Porcupine Warriors placed a ban on signing of new players into the club for at least a season.
Manhyia believes that the current players have enormous experience and quality to push the club to the top. The decision is also aimed at halting unnecessary purchasing of players which has cost the club in the last three years.
However, the NCC through its Public Relations Officer, Osei Owusu, is pleading to Manhyia to relax the embargo on purchasing of players.
“As NCC we were astonished when we heard the directives from His royal majesty but we will plead with him to revise this decision because if care is not taken we will go back to square one rather than solving a problem, at least he should give the chance to sign about one or two players to strengthen the squad because these same crop of players failed us,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
He continued:”As of now we don’t know whether Justice Blay is staying or not ,the technical team needed Latif Anabila to fix a problem but with the directives given, the problem will still be there and that will be deadly and dangerous for our team.
“We are only asking and pleading with Manhyia Palace to soften their stand and allow a limited number to be recruited not wholesale.”
Asante Kotoko Board Chairman Dr. Kwame Kyei has dissolved the management team of the club and thanked them for their services over the period after a meeting held Wednesday afternoon.
The newly constituted board of directors allowed Dr. Kyei to hold a meeting with the former management team after the maiden meeting of the board of directors Tuesday. The state of the club and financial report of the club was read to the new board members.
However, the duties of the George Amoakoh led management team have been halted after closed door meeting between Dr. Kwame Kyei and all the members of the management team.
It is expected that the newly constituted Board Of Directors will start the process for a new management in their next Board meeting.
footy.ghpush.com/ can confirm that the members of the dissolved management team have been told that they would be called if the need be.
Sources close to this portal indicate that two persons – the assistant Administratve officer and the club’s accountant are the only workers left to continue with the day-to-day activities of the Porcupine Warriors.
Former Asante Kotoko captain, Amos Frimpong believes that Otumfuo’s decision to place an embargo on player recruitment at the club will bring consistency in the progress of the club.
The Life Patron of Asante Kotoko, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, through the Chief of Staff of Manhyia Kori Badu, informed the newly-constituted board of directors during their inauguration Tuesday, not to recruit new players for at least one season.
Manhyia believes that the current crop of players have quality to propel the club. Again, it will halt the rampant acquisition of players as it was in the last three years which cost the club.
However, reacting to the big news, Amos Frimpong pleaded to Otumfuo to allow the Technical Team to purchase a player or two when the need be.
“I think consistancy is very key for the progress of kotoko so if Nana is saying that it’s for the betterment of the club but I ll also plead if there is the need to buy one or two players to add up to the squad the authorities should help the team to add up,” he told footy.ghpush.com/.
Frimpong ended his eight-year spell with Kotoko last year through mutual consent before he moved to join Guinean side AS Kaloum Stars.
He won 11 trophies with the Porcupine Warriors – 3 Ghana Premier League titles 3 league titles, 2 FA Cups, 2 President Cups, 2 SWAG Cups, a Super Cup and the novelty Normalization Special Cup Tier-One competition.
Asante Kotoko are considering purchasing the Abrankese Sports Stadium – officially known as Anane Boateng Boateng Stadium – from Kessben Group of Companies, according to reports monitored on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
The report further established that the hierarchy is either looking at buying the facility outright or by lease for their youth team training and Academy project.
The new Kotoko board of directors have been tasked to establish an academy to create opportunities for the youth in the community. The team’s training ground at Adako Jachie is under construction. The current administration has commenced walling the land.
The report further stated that the senior team, might be moved to the facility to train when activities at the Adako Jachie training facility get to its peak.
The report said reps of Manhyia have visited the facility and have informed the new board of directors for a consideration.
The Stadium which was opened in 2007 has a capacity of 12,000. It was the home ground for Kessben FC.
The Stadium is owned by former Asante Kotoko Board member – Stephen Boateng, popular known as Kessben.
Asante Kotoko Board Chairman, Dr. Kwame Kyei has written off monies owed him by the club during his first three years as Executive Chairman of the club, according to reports in the local media.
Snippets of information gathered indicate that, the business mogul invested an amount reported to be over GHS 8.6m into the day-to-day administration of the club.
The report revealed that Kwame Kyei told Otumfuo Osei II Kyei Tuesday at a closed door meeting with the newly-appointed Board of Directors.
The Asantehene appointed Kwame Kyei to steer affairs of the club in 2016 and he has been the sole financier of the Porcupine Warriors.
The board of directors were inaugurated by Manhyia yesterday, revealing to them their task.
Former Ghanaian footballer, Michael Boye Marquaye, who is based in the United kingdom has claimed that he is the biological father of Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford.
According to records, Marcus Rashford was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester in the UK to Melanie Rashford as his mother and Jamaican, Joseph Rashford as his father officially.
But Boye Marquaye in an interview with Kumasi FM disclosed that he fathered the Manchester United star and he is ready for a test to confirm his claims.
“Marcus Rashford is my biological son.He’s half Ghanaian and half English. Her mom is a white whom my relationship with her was open,her family knows me very well,” he told Kumasi FM.
“I’m challenging everyone to sue and imprison me if anyone thinks these claims are lies.I have a lot of proves to back my claim,if challenged I will release evidences which will be damming to Marcus Rashford’s reputation.
“Marcus Rashford isn’t a Jamaican,the adopted father is rather from Jamaica.Marcus Rashford’s name has been changed,the original name I gave him was Jonathan Mama Marcus.
Michael Boye Marquaye
“I have not met him(Marcus Rashford) for now. You can log on to the Manchester United website and it is evident that he used to use my surname,Marquaye before it was changed to Rashford.
Nobody should dare nor challenge my claims but if they do,I will release damming evidence that will be damaging to the image of Rashford.
There have been many efforts by me to reach him in accepting me as his father but the white mother has polluted his mind.
I’m ready for a paternity test to prove he is my son.
“I do not need Marcus Rashford’s money,I have enough money for myself now but I only need acknowledgement. It hurts me when I hear people say he is a Jamaican,I do not want to hear that again.”
FIFA has placed a transfer ban on newly-promoted French Ligue 1 club Lorient for failing to pay the solitary money to Ghanaian lover-tier side Cheetah FC on the transfer of Alhassan Wakaso.
The midfielder was first transfer to Portuguese side Portimonense who later transfer him to Portuguese side Rio Ave FC.
In 2017, the French club signed Wakaso ftom Rio Ave but did not pay the statutory payment to the Ghanaian club ‘ Cheetah FC.
As a result, Cheetah FC dragged Le Marius ro FIFA’s Players Status Committee through Offside Consult led by Ashford Tetteh Oku.
The disciplinary Committee in May 5 this year ordered Lorient to pay the solidarity amout plus 5% interest of € 10, 000 or face immediate and automatic transfer ban.
Below is a portion of Fifa’s Ruling.
”If payment is not made to the Creditor and proof of such a payment is not provided to the secretariat to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and to the French Football Association by this deadline, a ban from registering new players, either nationally or internationally, will be imposed on the Debtor. Once the deadline has expired, the transfer ban will be implemented automatically at national and international level by the French Football Association and FIFA respectively, without a further formal decision having to be taken nor any order to be issued by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee or its secretariat.
“The transfer ban shall cover all men eleven-a-side teams of the Debtor – first team and youth categories –. The Debtor shall be able to register new players, either nationally or internationally, only upon the payment to the Creditor of the total outstanding amount. In particular, the Debtor may not make use of the exception and the provisional measures stipulated in article 6 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players in order to register players at an earlier stage.
”As a member of FIFA, the French Football Association is reminded of its duty to implement this decision and provide FIFA with proof that the transfer ban has been implemented at national level. If the French Football Association does not comply with this decision, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will decide on appropriate sanctions on the member. This can lead to an expulsion from FIFA competitions.”
Premier League Management Committee Chairman, Alhaji MND Jawula has revealed that the clubs are willing to continue the suspended 2019/20 Ghana Premier League season in order to avoid any legal tussle.
Football activities are still on hold in Ghana due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease. The hope of resuming soon was dashed when the government of Ghana extended the ban on social gatherings despite easing restrictions on non-contact sports.
Many has called for the total annulment of the season, with King Faisal FC Bankroller Alhaji Karim Grusah being the leading advocate. However, a section believes that, it should be continued when the situation is good to hold football games.
However, speaking to Kumasi-based Opemsuo Radio, the former Ghana Football Association Capo confirmed that the League will continue based on the outcome of the engagement between the GFA and CAF as well the government of Ghana for financial assistance.
“We want to continue the league to avoid legal tussles but that will be contingent on what comes out from our engagement with government and CAF for financial assistance,” Alhaji MND Jawula noted.
The Ghana Premier League was suspended in mid-March when it was in week 15.
Teams are still struggling to pay its players and officials due to the financial constraints since no external revenue is generated.
