Former Ghana International Charles Taylor warns current Kotoko and Hearts players to learn from 2000 squad
Former player of Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak Charles Taylor has warned current players of both clubs to seek advice and learn from former players of his era what it takes to be successful on the pitch.
The current players in each club have failed the clubs on so many levels, where on the side of Hearts, they have not won the Ghana Premier League for a decade now, and have consistently absented from CAF Inter Club competitions in recent years, appearing only once (2015 CAF Confederation Cup) in continental club competitions since their elimination from the 2008 Champions League by Gabonese side FC 105 Libreville.
Kotoko have not tasted glory in the Ghana Premier League since 2013-2014 season and their best stage in Africa is the group stages of the 2018-2019 Confederations Cup, and on the worse, the two giants have been eliminated from CAF competitions by small-unknown clubs like ASC Linguere, JSM Bejaia, Ittihad Khemisset and Barrack Young Controllers from Liberia.
That is unusual of Kotoko and Hearts especially during the 90s and early 2000s where the Ghanaian giants were powerful in CAF Inter Club competitions. Taylor won the Champions League and Super with Hearts in 2000 and 2001 respectively before reaching the finals of the Confederation Cup with former rivals Asante Kotoko in 2004.
Taylor has attributed those successes to players’ determination which current players of the two clubs have not added to their qualities, and has urged players to learn from that by adopting the level of determination that made them the difference against opponents.
“In our generation, we play with determination and want the current generation of Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak players to learn from us so that they will be better than us,” he told Ashh FM.
“When you compare our era example Stephen Oduro was a good player and he played beautiful football.”
“There is no player in both Kotoko and Hearts of Oak currently who plays like Stephen Oduro,” he argued.”
“This current squad of Kotoko and Hearts are “too known” they will even tell you, the old player, you have finished with your career. Making them unwilling to receive advise from us.”
“In the 2004 Confederations Cup squad none of Kotoko and Hearts current players will be a starter. Even none of them will get a position in our team, it will be very difficult for them to get a chance on bench.”
Kotoko and Hearts dropped from the CAF Champions League before they fired Wydad Athletic Club and AS Douanes respectively to enter the group stage of the 2004 Confederation Cup.
