Management of Asante Kotoko has revealed details of the petition it sent to the FIFA/CAF Normalization Committee for approval to participate in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup.
Kotoko are basing on CAF statutes to gain qualification for the continent’s second-tier inter-club competition as winners of last season’s FA Cup, following the inability of the country to organize the cup competition this year.
Professional football activities have been on halt in Ghana since June 2018, and the country, as a result, has no Premier League champion and FA Cup winner to present to CAF as representatives of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup respectively.
The Normalization Committee has served notice that no Ghanaian club the country would not compete in Africa next year, but management disagrees.
“We are statutorily empowered by the combined effects of section 1 (under General Provisions) and section IV(6) (under Engagements) in the new CAF Confederation Cup Regulations, approved on 10th January 2018, came into force immediately and signed by CAF president Ahmad Amad and Secretary General Amr Fahmy.”
Section 1 of the regulations, according to George Amoako, ‘requires cup winners clubs of affiliated associations to participate and Asante Kotoko SC is the current holder of the FA Cup," he noted.
“Section IV(6) is to the effect that in the event a federation does not organize a cup competition for whatever reason, that federation has the right to present the participation request of the same club(s) that had previously won the federation's cup. Asante Kotoko is the beneficiary as being the current holders of the FA Cup," he continued.
“Not oblivious of the possibility of getting the nod to participate in the competition, due to the above-cited provisions in the CAF Confederation Cup Regulations, we have had to invest so much in our team by way of technical and player recruitment as well as the acquisition of several facilities.”
George Amoako opined that the club was prepared, able and willing to contend for the trophy at stake to uplift the image of football in the country.
“We have the needed resources to go through the competition with or without external assistance."
“Any attempt to prevent Asante Kotoko SC from participating in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup competition would be a serious breach of the CAF Confederation Cup Regulations and an infringement on the rights of the club," he concluded.
Source: Asantekotokosc.com