8 coaches, 57 players in 3 years: The ‘madness’ at Asante Kotoko

Earlier this week, the official twitter handle of Kumasi Asante Kotoko made a tweet soliciting views on how the club has fared under Kwame Kyei’s leadership.

To be honest it was a thoughtless move by the handler of the account who should have considered the poisoned environment around the club before setting up their Executive Chairman for ridicule and unwarranted attacks.

The responses to that ill-advised step by the club were damming and should give Kwame Kyei reasons to reconsider his running of the club.

In his assessment of the three years of the current administration, Jerome Otchere commended the business mogul’s investment in the club, but pointed to the lack of structures and plan and decision making as major failures of Kotoko’s management.

“At the very best we will have to talk about critical decision making at the club and there is no way you can single out the management if you are talking about the decision making and how the decision they make impact on the club. It’s key to everything. I keep saying that leadership is key to everything. If the leadership is good it reflects on the direction of the club. Some decisions that were taken clearly did not help us. We have to be honest to admit that getting CK out at the time we did was not the best”.

Jerome’s citation of Akunnor’s axing is just one of many instances where the current management showed why timely and well-thought-out decisions are alien to them.

In three years, Kotoko have sacked and fired 8 coaches. Some sacked for justifiable reasons, others to paper over the cracks in management.

These coaches have different coaching beliefs, systems and principles that require some time and patience for players to adapt. Akunnor for instance built his team on a solid defense and efficient attack while Zachariassen who believes in expansive and possession-oriented football was brought in and tasked to produce a cup-winning team in less than two weeks.

The playing body has not been exempted from these mis-timely and inept decisions by bosses. As evidenced in the case of Adingra Bidodane Moussa who was signed and sacked in a space of five days, Kotoko’s player recruitment has been shambolic with players signed based on relationships with key figures at the club and not on recommendation of coaches.

In the last 36 months Kotoko have signed 57 players from different parts of the continent, different ages, different styles and obviously different ambitions.

While a handful like Safiu, Yacouba and Kwame Bonsu have proven to be a success, a chunk of these players have failed to prove their worth and made no significant impact on the club.

In the three years of Kwame Kyei’s management Kotoko have signed 57 players and 8 coaches with no clear plan and identity.

Structures are non-existent at the club and despite the hiring of George Amoako as CEO, the club still operates on the dictates of its wealthy Executive Chaiman whose main advisor is a taxi driver who has no experience and knowledge in managing a football club.

Kwame Kyei may have pumped huge money into Kotoko but his failure to develop a functioning corporate system, a clear technical direction and recruitment plan has left Kotoko in a mess and it just a matter of time before the club’s life patron takes back his darling club.