Why Franck Etouga Mbella is warming into cult hero at Asante Kotoko |

Not since the days of Eric Bekoe have the Kotoko support taken so quickly to a new signing. It’s not hard to see why Franck Mbella Etouga, the Cameroonian forward signed from Fortuna du Mfou at the start of the season, has become a fans’ favourite in Kumasi.

In a world where footballers are media trained to suppress any sort of human emotion, Etouga is a delightful exception.

The flamboyant forward with an ever-changing appearance has shone for his employers, scoring goals for fun, the 20-year-old has run defences ragged and is already gunning for the goal-king accolade having scored 13 goals this far.

He has proved himself as one of the brightest talents in the highly rated Ghanaian top-flight league. Indeed, he is one of the main reasons behind Kotoko’s sudden resurgence and boosting their status of the country’s best.

Etouga is an explosive player who possess a lot of pace, can play on the flanks as a wide forward or a winger, but enjoys cutting inside and using his powerful right foot. Dribbling and managing to keep possession are two other strong qualities he boasts.

He can shoot with both feet and his finishing is strong. An unselfish player, he likes to get in positions to assist his team-mates and create chances. It is not only his goals that endear him to his manager, team-mates and fans.

It is his all-round style; he plays with a vivacity, power and cleverness that uplift those around him and enable him to thrive in variety of positions. Not since Eric Bekoe have Kotoko had a striker so adept to hold-up- play but what really makes him valuable is his work rate.

Etouga tries to win almost every ball back, even if this means going deep to chase it. Something which you notice with Etouga is that he draws quite a lot fouls due to his ability to dribble and do the unexpected

The numbers are impressive enough, but watching him on the field, it is impossible to ignore his calm, confident demeanour. Arriving from a foreign country and does not speak English or any native language is undoubtedly a daunting experience, as is dealing with pressure of playing for Asante Kotoko, yet the highest compliment one can give to the Cameroonian is to admit that he instantly looked like he belonged in the team.

Simply put, Asante Kotoko is a better team whenever Franck Etouga is in the lineup.

In him, the Porcupine Warriors have a player they can build around, a player already at the level they crave to return to. He remains the club’s most influential and consistent star. He isn’t one for the future, he’s thriving already.