Kumasi Asante Kotoko have won the coveted premier league in quite a flamboyant fashion. Club CEO, Nana Yaw Amponsah has fulfilled his promise of winning the league with games to spare.
He was very emphatic that, but for the larger number of kilometers, they covered, Kotoko would have won the league, the previous season.
However, quite a number of pundits predicted otherwise, obviously because of mass ship-out of half the number of players in the squad, an influx of young and inexperienced players as well as instituting an entirely new technical team. Such tough decisions meant that Kotoko had more problems than just playing home games away from home.
Newly appointed gaffer, Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum wasn’t given a dog’s chance, apparently, he hadn’t coached any top side before neither was he a proven winner. His best achievement was a top-four finish with WAFA in the season before and probably saving the relegation-threatened side.
“Kotoko isn’t WAFA, Kotoko needs already established materials and a good coach to win the league” – Ex Goalkeeper Anthony doubted.
“Prosper Narteh is a professor in education not football that’s why he still goes to the class to teach despite coaching Kotoko. Degrees and books don’t win matches. We have professors in coaching but not in Ghana here unless Europe”. – Alhaji Grusah doubted.
After eight months, Prosper had to respond to the naysayers with victory and show the world that everyone deserves a chance. Sandwiched by his jubilant young squad Prosper Ogum said;
“It has ended in praise, we are the 2021/2022 Ghana Premier League Champions, in humility we have come and we have conquered”.
Kotoko are crowned champions, however, what became increasingly shocking, was how the supporters unexpectedly turned their backs on an enviable ritual or tradition of the club. They have abjured what perhaps formed the DNA of the great club Of the Ashanti Kingdom. The club’s history was built by thousands of fans who made sure that Kumasi Sports stadium was always filled to the rafters and became a fortress for everyone who visited. Raucous chants from fans won them high profile games with cheeky ease. Virtually every top club in African football has experienced the incessant intimidating rage of enchanting Kotoko’s dyed in the wool faithful. People followed the club religiously, even training grounds were full to capacity.
Former head coach, Ernst Middendorp was always surprised with the massive turnout of fans at the Ridge Park to watch his side train. Interestingly, there were no seats for them to sit. They stood in rains and in scorching sun for hours to watch their beloved warriors train for the subsequent battles.
In 1969, Patronage Saint-Anne took the lead against Asante Kotoko on the 9th minute in Kumasi, the fans suddenly roar, they became so loud that the Congolese lost their confidence. Kotoko’s players looked possessed thereafter, and created numerous chances within 10 minutes. An equalizer by Osumanu Orlando on the 29th minute worsened the case for the visitors, there was a serious earth vibration, and a seismologist could measure its extent. Patronage Saint-Anne were eventually torn apart by Asante Kotoko. A whopping 5-1 scoreline with legendary Osei Kofi scoring all the other 4 goals.
In 1971, African Cup final, Asante Kotoko played host to Cannon Club of Cameroun in Kumasi. Over forty thousand supporters filled a twenty thousand seating capacity stadium. Fans thronged in their numbers, some were allowed in the inner perimeter of the stadium, and others climbed electrical poles. Kotoko recorded an emphatic 3-0 victory against Cannon Club of Cameroun. That result was made possible by the home fans. Prior to that game similar numbers were recorded in their fixture against Accra Great Olympics, which they won by 2-1. In September 12, 1993, 2-0 against Asec Mimosas, 2-0 against WAC of Morocco in 2004 etc.
The aforementioned antecedents and many others suggest that Kotoko’s fans were the warp and weft of the fabric of the club’s football glory. When the stakeholders of the club are united, the club flourishes in all facets of the game. Asante Kotoko fans are the beacon of the club’s glory and magnificence.
On the contrary, today, the leaders of the club are literally begging for supporters even in victory. The glamorous club in Ghana football struggled to sell 5,000 tickets to fans for category A’ games, even when they were comfortable at the top of the league log. Kotoko’s home ground is no more a fortress, statistics prove that the players prefer to play away from home. With a couple of weeks to their CAF Champions League campaign, Kotoko’s fans must accept their role to empower the club to return to its glorious days.
Author: Edward Gyasi