Ghanaian clubs can be more than local champions

On the 10th of January 2016, Kumasi Asante Kotoko lifted the First Trust G6 tournament trophy at the Essipong Stadium at Sekondi. This was a tournament held by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), who annually host a pre-season tournament to usher in a new Ghana football season.

The tournament has been inconsistent in the number of teams, fluctuating like the tidal waves in the ocean, to venues of these tournaments. In retrospect, the tournament used to be known as the Top 4 tournament which featured clubs that finished in the top four of the league standings at the end of every football season. It then migrated to the G8 where we had more clubs participating in the tournament.

In the year 2016, we have the G6, which featured the Top 4 teams of the league and two other teams which were also invited to participate.

The tournament was criticised by fans and pundits on how short the intervals were between games, which seemed to sap the energy of players and also put players at risk of picking up injuries.

Regardless, the tournament was a great success and fans of Kumasi Asante Kotoko exhibited a lot of excitement in winning the tournament many days after. This might be explicable, given the fact that the Fabulous club had endured a trophy-less season.

They initially lost out in the Republic Day President’s Cup to arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak in July 2015. They also lost out to Medeama SC in August 2015 in the final of the FA Cup, as well placing second to AshantiGold SC in the First Capital Plus Premier League.

This made the winning of the G6 tournament something to cheer about. A few days later, this same club made a trip to Libya and lost to Al-Ittihad by 2 goals to 1 followed by a goalless draw in a second game against the same club.

This came after a number of Kotoko fans came out to make a statement they were going to restore the image of Ghanaian football, which they claimed had been dented by Accra Hearts of Oak’s 4-0 loss to the same Libyan Al-Ittihad.

This was just nothing but propaganda, if you ask me. Both teams would really want to do one over the other at any point in time. With all of this, I will want us all to get something straight.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko won a tournament which has not been well structured over the years and believes they are invincible and feel they are the best in Ghana only to fall short in Libya.

This is not to burst the bubbles of the fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko fans which is the African club of the century (as named by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, IFFHS) and the epitome of Ghana club football, as they also hold the record of 24 leagues titles as well.

If a club of this stature in a footballing nation like Ghana is underachieving in recent times then it should be fair to conclude that Ghana club football as a whole is not fulfilling its full potential.

Kotoko has underachieved because being the club of the 20th century (We are in the 21st now) and 24-time local champions, it cannot boast of any continental trophy since 1983 and, thus, cannot rub shoulders with Al Ahly or T.P Mazembe, who have been the lords of African club football in the past decade.

There are also arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak who have existed for 100 years with 20 league titles and 3 continental trophies which were picked up within 2000-2004 but have never been able to build on that continental excellence ever since.

With the evaluation of the two greatest clubs in Ghanaian soccer history in relation to continental glory and acknowledgement, the question that certainly has to be asked will have to be: ‘Is this all we can be?’

Clubs in Ghana have this very habit of winning trophies, making merry the day the trophy is won and going to sleep. It is quite interesting when I always see Ghanaian clubs doing this and later come round to complain of them lacking funds.

There are some clubs who currently have problems with paying players and officials but have won laurels in the past. These are all thoughts that ran through my mind when I saw Kumasi Asante Kotoko lifting the glittering G6 trophy.

Just recently we had champions of the Ghana Premier League in the frame of AshantiGold Sporting Club. This is a team that had not won the title for close to two decades. For a team that had sought this title and believed that the title was to change the present phase of the club, it seems the euphoria, pomp and passion that came with winning the league title has dwindled to an all-time low after a few months.

This is quite different as compared to the story of Chelsea in England who pride themselves as current champions despite their below par performance in recent times.

This is simply because clubs in England, Spain, Germany and other major leagues in Europe capitalise on their successes to build their brand as that keeps the club very much successful, in addition to parades, tours, and other programmes which keep the excitement alive.

This just re-echoes to fans that there are new kings in town and to people who for some reason did not follow the league will know that these are champions.

We look at the situation of AshGold SC and there was no parade but the general excuse that will be given for this is we do not have funds or we have not got to the level of European Clubs but then I would reply by saying when shall we get to that level?

There is no harm in trying because it is quite sad when we always sell ourselves short as incapable and in the process hinder ourselves from taking things to the next level. Now, we could pretend that Ashanti Gold were not able to organise a parade. A little tour visiting stakeholders in the club with the trophy with little media coverage should not be beyond the reach of a club with a strong financial background like the current champions or any other club in Ghana for that matter.

I do say this due to the fact that when I cast my mind to Kumasi Asante Kotoko winning the league in 2003 a presentation was made to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

This presentation increased the excitement as the Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, who is the king of the Ashanti Kingdom, doubles as the life patron of the club which has roots deeply embedded in Ashanti folklore and history.

Subsequent presentations have been made to the Asantehene as Kumasi Asante Kotoko won league titles afterwards. But the 2003 presentation was epic as it was the first one won in the Ashanti king’s reign.

AshantiGold on the other hand, was founded by employees of mining company Ashanti Goldfields Company as Obuasi Goldfields Sporting Club in 1978. It was later supported by management of the parent company and had its name changed to AshantiGold Sporting Club due to change of ownership of the parent company. AngloGold Ashanti (a company based in South Africa) currently supervises the management of AshantiGold Sporting Club.

It therefore should not be difficult for a club backed by a reputable mining company in Africa to finance a tour of the trophy to key places in the Ashanti Region. Ideally, the club, visiting the headquarters of AngloGold Ashanti Corporation South Africa, as they participate in the CAF Champions League this year, would serve as a great marketing tool for the club.

This is simply because clubs in South Africa might get to know of this team and that will increase awareness of the club in one other countries prior to its campaign in Africa.

There is another way of capitalising on success. This is by the opening of shops from which club merchandise could be purchased. Merchandise could include branded footballs, t-shirts, and kits.

Accra Hearts of Oak won the Champions League in 2000 and 15 years down the line that glory is nothing but a vanished memory. Meanwhile, clubs like T.P Mazembe and Al Ahly have been able to capitalise on their countless successes on the African continent by establishing shops of this very sort.

In 2011, Al-Ahly opened a shop which sold club souvenirs. This had been long overdue for the most successful club in Africa which had won 6 CAF Champions League competitions at the time. “Establishing that store is a very important step towards increasing the club’s revenues,” Al Ahly marketing director Adly El-Qayei, a long-serving club employee and the architect of their big-name signings, told Ahramonline a day after their shop was opened. He also went on to say that: “We have many other plans and projects which we are looking to fulfil in the coming period. We will build many other stores and cafés in the country.”

Two years later, Al Ahly proudly boast of being CAF Champions League winners for two consecutive times (2012 & 2013) after a spell without winning the trophy since 2008. TP Mazembe, who have won the CAF Champions League three times (2009, 2010, and 2015), also opened theirs in 2013.

The next conclusion drawn from this by a number of readers will automatically be: “They were able to use monies accrued from the Champions League triumphs.” That is not really the case. Orlando Pirates in South Africa, who have won 1 Champions League trophy, which was as far back as 1995, have a store of their own.

We have Orlando Pirates’ rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, based in Soweto, South Africa who have not tasted CAF Champions League triumph but own an established shop with such merchandise.

For clubs in Ghana, it should not be about raising huge sums of money to probably erect a structure or hire space at a huge shopping mall. Starting small is always what we should look at, just like the club Gor Mahia, a football powerhouse in Kenya.

Gor Mahia has been active in the selling of replica jerseys. An article posted by goal.com Kenya dated October 13, 2014 with the headline ‘Gor Mahia put 500 jerseys for sale’ spoke of talks about Gor Mahia selling 500 jerseys to the fans. “At this time, we can only afford to bring in 500 pieces. We ask fans to support us by buying what we already have before we can bring in more,” Gor Mahia club Secretary General Chris Omondi said.

From the comments of the Gor Mahia club official, they could not afford to produce on a large a scale but at least they had made the effort to produce the number the budget could support, while continuing to urge the full support of the fans. This, therefore, implies that a Medeama SC, Berukum Chelsea or Aduana Stars can produce an estimated 30 replica jerseys and build on it. As the French saying goes : “Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.” This translates as little by little, the bird makes its nest. Hence, we can make it provided clubs are patient enough to start small.

The Ghana Premier League has not been the best in most aspects of its embodiment. Regardless, the clubs can pull themselves out of the ashes and make grounds in Africa and beyond.

I would like to wish good luck to AshantiGold SC and Medeama of Tarkwa who represent Ghana in the continental tournaments this season, namely the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup respectively.

Hopefully, we might see one of these two clubs grab the ultimate this season. If they are unable to do so, clubs, going forward, should capitalise on their success anytime they get in this position of being recently crowned champions of the Premier League or the F.A Cup.

Hopefully, we should see Ghana football grow from henceforth and it shall be a revolution!!!!! Let the believers in the supreme God and Ghana football shout a big Amen!!!