The Management of Fortia Limited is very pleased to announce an agreement with AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Limited for the purchase of its shares in Ashantigold Sporting Club.
Today’s signing ceremony is the culmination of months of negotiation led by our head consultant, Mr Herbert Mensah.
Fortia is an international sports management consortium with global interests in sports development.
Having recognised Africa as currently a major backbone in sports – particularly soccer - across the world, Fortia was very interested when news filtered to us that the AngloGold Ashanti was looking for a competent organisation to purchase and take over the operations of the club.
Fortia never goes into any business transaction without the knowledge and expertise of indigenous business people.
Unlike elsewhere, locating one person whose competence and networking in the area of sports management in Ghana was etched in letters of gold took little time as the name Herbert Mensah came cropping up.
Mensah is singularly responsible for the revolution in Ghana soccer that introduced the much-touted professionalism era. His stints at Kotoko and King Faisal and association with a host of other premiership and lower division sides, is evidence of his legendary status in Ghana soccer.
Having understood and appreciated the business concept behind Fortia’s quest to take over Ashantigold, Mensah agreed to join our team and led negotiations with AngloAshanti Ashanti.
If we are here today signing an agreement to take over Ashantigold it is primarily because we are convinced we have the competence and manpower required to take the Aboakese to a new level.
Mensah and members of his team who will be responsible for the day-to-day running of Ashantigold have one major goal – to revive the dwindling fortunes of the club, ensure that it reverts to the powerhouse it was years ago and move to its all concurring form on the African continent.
This goal is one that requires huge investment and the resort to the best technical management available.
Mensah’s network of contacts includes big players in the football market like Pini Zahavi, who has brokered some of the most expensive transfer deals in Europe, Prosport International who are the leading FIFA player agents on the continent and a host of European technical brains such as our own Ernst Middendorp.
The journey to revitalising Ashantigold will not be an easy one. The new management will require not less than 48 months to turn the tide and during that period major changes will take place in the operations of the club to ensure that it moves in tandem with modern managerial practices.
Already we have contracted the services of a competent physical trainer in the person of Jacques Naude.
Naude has been in Obuasi since September 28 and is taking the playing squad through a strict pre-season physical training regimen aimed at ensuring that the quality of their game is not only about skill but also about stamina and strength.
Naude has handled Kotoko, King Faisal, Accra Hearts of Oak, Real Tamale United and Real Sportive previously through the instrumentality of Herbert Mensah and the positive effects of his pre-season programme shone through out the season for those clubs.
When Naude departs for his native country in a couple of weeks Fortia will unveil a new German Technical Director for Ashantigold. The Technical Director comes with an impressive resume including stints in Ghana and understands the terrain.
The Ashantigold project will be a multi-tiered one that will mean that local talent will be groomed into competent technical hands for the future.
Of particular significance is the revival of the Sam Jonah Academy which hitherto was a major backbone for the club and which spawned the likes of Kamara Dini, Augustine Arhinful, Ebenezer Hagan, Ofosu Amoah and Opoku Agyeman.
Successful soccer clubs across the world harness a lot of their talent from their own football academies. In the African context this is even more important because such players are afforded requisite education, which is an asset, lacked by many of our top talent.
Fortia will procure the services of top class scouts who shall scour the length and breadth of Ghana and across the sub-region to secure young talent for the academy.
Our business plan means we shall give Ashantigold an impressive image including the redesign of the club’s logo, negotiate workable sponsorship and partnership packages and turn Obuasi into the hub of soccer in the region.
Our success will involve tapping the huge support base the Aboakese has in Obuasi. With the support of these followers and that of Nananom and Imams and other opinion leaders, Ashantigold will soar above all.
We commend Anglo Ashanti for a accepting our offer and we shall commit ourselves to the business of breathing a new life into Ashantigold Sporting Club.
Lawrence Nsarko Otoo (Local Representative)
General Enquiries:
Kobina Andoh Amoakwa
Tel: 021 763366, 0243417959 Email: kobbyandoh@mac.com
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