I was ever ready to play for Kotoko; Don Bortey clears air on Kotoko feud

Ex-Hearts of Oak midfielder, Bernard Dong Bortey has denied allegations by the public that he made away with money given to him by Asante Kotoko after signing onto the club while maintaining that he was prepared to play for the club.

He, however, fingered the then Herbert Mensah-led Kotoko management as having failed to secure him his football registration card to finalize his transfer from Tema GHAPOHA FC to Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC. They were outsmarted by rivals Hearts of Oak who managed to secure his registration card from the club, he revealed.

“It hurts when supporters say I spent Kotoko’s money because it never happened. It is unlike me. I believe the mistake was from Herbert Mensah because if he had followed up with my registration card after he approached me at home, this wouldn’t have happened.”

According to Don Bortey, he was excited about the move because most colleagues he played with during the 1999 U-17 FIFA World Cup in New Zealand had joined the Porcupines.

But he could do very little when he found out Hearts executives including Harry Zakkour, Steve Akwetey and Thomas Okine had struck a deal with his former employers, Tema GHAPOHA FC upon his arrival from Kumasi to Accra.

Bortey, who remains a bad memory for the Kotoko fraternity said, “I was helpless because I didn’t want to upset my superiors at GHAPOHA FC who thought it was a good move”.

He added, “I’m a player and I love football. So will be fine with whichever club is ready to accept me. I was ready to play for Kotoko. Nonetheless, I will have to find a way to get myself a football club.”