‘Where are they?’: Ex-Kotoko striker Kwadwo Poku opens up on dream club, career and the Black Stars

Former Asante Kotoko forward, Kwadwo Poku "Mahalla" has disclosed that he had always wanted to play for Ghana Premier League side Liberty Professionals.

Poku, who played for the Porcupine Warriors in early 2000 became a household name following his heroics at Asante Kotoko’s Africa campaign against Ghazel El-Mahalla in the Africa Cup Winners Cup competition.

Kwadwo Poku who had just joined the team from King Faisal earned the named ‘Mahalla’ after the two-leg encounter in the competition following his splendid performance which helped Asante Kotoko to progress to the next round of the competition.

In an interview on Happy FM’s ‘Where are They’ program, Kwadwo Poku said, he had always wanted to play for the scientific soccer lads because of the enormous opportunities at the club back then.

“The team I wanted to play was Liberty Professionals because I realized that when the young players go there they get more opportunities to travel outside so I wanted to join Liberty when I was playing at the colt level”, he disclosed to Ohene-Bampoe Brenya on Happy 98.9FM.

“I came to Liberty Professionals for a justify then I met Sellas Tetteh but because of some ill-treatment meted out to me at the Ghana U-17 camp by Sellas Tetteh, I told him that I will not play the club anymore because of him.”

Kwadwo Poku also played a role in the Black Stars qualification to the 2006 FIFA World Cup during the qualifiers.

According to him, he was disappointed to have been left out of the final squad for the World Cup after helping the team in the qualifiers.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t make the World Cup squad for the Black Stars after playing in the qualifiers. I felt bad because I really played a part only to be dropped in the end.”

He also indicated that Bawa Mumuni is the toughest defender he faced in the Ghana Premier League. Bawa played for Liberty Professionals.

Kwadwo Poku has retired from football and currently lives in Denmark with his family.