Kotoko’s Brazilian flavour

The year is 2005 – on a quiet January morning, the Frontpage headline of the Weekend Sport Newspaper read “Kotoko outdoor Brazilian Players” with a photo of the three players they had acquired.

Their names, Uly De Castro Rodrigues, Gleisson De Souza Ferreira and Fabio Louis Rodriguez da Silva. Kotoko had lost the CAF Confederations Cup to Hearts months earlier and the thought was that the eye-watering investment was to spell good things for the club. Kotoko coach Hans Dieter Schmidt had okayed the signings. Kumasi had opened it’s doors.

Things were looking up. Or so they thought.

In August 2014, another Brazilian Hermes Da Silva joined Kotoko.

It was in many ways a facsimile of how the first three ended. Coach Masud Didi Dramani led the media war of defending that transfer. Not much came off that too.

Now the porcupines have a new poster boy. Another Brazilian. One who has made the 3,800-mile journey from his country to Kumasi. The pomp with which the club and its fans have accepted the player has been immense.

Thankfully for social media, fans have gotten to see videos of their new man and what he can do. The samba flair is there. The boy looks good. With Kotoko heading into the CAF Champions League, he could come in handy.

But can he do it on a hot Sunday afternoon in Dormaa?