Asante Kotoko suffer internal transfer ban as life patron issue transfer order
Ghana Premier League record holders Asante Kotoko have suffered internal transfer ban for a year after life patron of the club Otumfuo Osei Tutu II orders club to refrain from bringing in new additions.
The scrutinization of club Chairman Dr Kwame Kyei’s administration in past three years has led to the formation of a new Board of Directors last month by life patron.
The Board now headed by former Chairman Kwame Kyei had their maiden meeting last Tuesday and the new development was revealed by Manhyia Palace chief of staff Kofi Badu.
“Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has directed that the club should not recruit any new player for at least a season,” Kofi Badu told reporters on Tuesday. The Manhyia Palace is the seat of Otumfuo.
“The reason is to temporarily stop the player attrition rate and enable us to work with the current crop of players, who the Asantehene thinks have the quality to push the club to the top.”
A new nine-member Kotoko board included Jude Arthur (Board Chairman for Ghana Commercial Bank), Kwadwo Boateng Gyamfi (Board Chairman Ghana EXIM Bank), Kwasi Osei Ofori (Chairman Erdmark Group/ CEO Rocksure Mining Ltd), Lawyer Kwamina Mensah (Corporate Lawyer), Alhaji Lamine (Businessman), Joseph Yaw Adu (Retired Director of Sports at Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology), Baffour Kwame Kusi (Otumfuo’s Ankobeahene), and Evelyn Nsiah Asare (Acting Head of Sports at Sunyani Technical University) complete the board.
“His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehe, has constituted a new board of directors for Asante Kotoko Sporting Club and charged it with an ambitious task to rebuild the Asante Kotoko brand not only for its performance on the sporting field but as a viable economic entity,” a statement from Manhyia Palace said in announcing the new board.
”The Board will be the highest decision-making body of the club, responsible to the sole shareholder for policy formation and active oversight over the management, development, financial control, technical direction and performance of the club.
”Against the backdrop of recent disquiet among stakeholders and without prejudice to the outcome of the ongoing Prof. Lydia Nkansah Committee, His Majesty has tasked the Board to rebuild the Asante Kotoko SC brand both for its performance on the sporting field and as a viable and self-sustaining economic entity able ultimately to reclaim its pre-eminent position among the elite clubs of Africa.”
Before this latest development, Kotoko were reportedly planning to involve Ash Gold midfielder Latif Anabila together with foreign players.
But with the coming in of this latest news, Kotoko would have to wait until summer 2021 before the can enter into the transfer market.
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