Kotoko CEO details background information to Afriyie Barnieh's move to FC Zurich

The Chief Executive Officer of Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah has shed light on the circumstances that led Swiss club FC Zurich signing Hearts of Oak's Daniel Afriyie Barnieh instead of Franck Mbella Etouga from Kotoko.

Speaking in a recent interview, Nana Yaw Amponsah disclosed that the Swiss club wanted to sign the Cameroonian striker from Kotoko but wanted to do so in the January transfer window.

According to him, he informed Etouga about the offer which would materialize in January and begged him to stay and help Kotoko in their CAF Champions League campaign but the player declined.

“I practically begged him because I knew FC Zurich were interested in him but will only sign him in January,” he told Oyerepa FM.

“So I was even begging him that if he helps us qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, his stock will rise higher and by January a European team will come for you and I mention the name of the team to him,” he added.

He went to on state that FC Zurich turned their attention to Afriyie Barnieh after Etouga left Ghana.

He said, “Zurich came again and they went for Afriyie Barnieh for the price that the Egyptian team couldn’t afford. If Mbella had taken his time he would have been in Europe, not Egypt.”

Since joining El Masry, Franck Mbella Etouga has scored one goal in 8 matches out of 27 matches played in the Egyptian League so far.

JNA/KPE