Ash Gold winger Yaw Annor eyeing move to Asante Kotoko after making close revelation
Ash Gold key man Yaw Annor has set his sight on joining Asante Kotoko at the end of this season, according to reports.
The Ghana Premier League leaders have been linked with the player for some time now after the technical team highlighted some areas they need to strengthen for next season. They lead the Ghana Premier League table with 52 points.
The wing position is one of the areas highlighted and Ash Gold’s wide man Yaw Annor is the first name making major headlines at Kotoko.
Annor has been sensational since joining Ash Gold in June 2020 simply becoming untouchable in the starting XI whenever he is fit.
Arguably, Asante Kotoko have one of the best midfield setup in the Ghana league but fall behind a couple of teams in the wide attacking areas. At the beginning of the season, they had the potentials of becoming a side with the best wing department after assemblying talented Stephen Amankona from Berekum Chelsea, Isaac Oppong, Joseph Amoako, Dickson Afoakwa and Georges Mfegue.
However, many of these stars have failed to adapt to Prosper Ogum’s model with Georges Mfegue only a regular man in the current Asante Kotoko starting lineup, and substitutions have rarely centered on them as the central midfield and striking positions have received regular changes during matchdays.
Kotoko’s wing problems were further deepen by the departure of Joseph Amoako to Swedish club Helsingborgs IF in January window and injury of Oppong who was the brightest spot at early season.
The wide man, Oppong, 18, has been ruled out for rest of the season and his return at the beginning of next season may not guarantee his top form before he got injured.
With some of these issues, Asante Kotoko have been in the hunt for new faces to bolster their wide areas with the Ash Gold man the only one heavily linked in the Ghana Premier League while Kotoko look outside the country as well.
Another Ash Gold man Seth Osei has also been linked with a move to Asante Kotoko but the nimble footed play-maker is likely to be deployed at the no. 10 role if signed which Kotoko already have the best in that scene so far in Fabio Gama and Richmond Lamptey.
Yaw Annor is reportedly interested in the move to Kotoko and has told friends that he hopes the potential move materializes before start of 2023-2023 season. Annor was spotted in a casual conversation with friends but not in official interview with the media.
Annor’s move will boost Kotoko’s chances in the Ghana Premier League and the Caf Champions League next term. Annor has a vast experience in International football- something given attention to in Kotoko’s subsequent transfers due to their African football ambitions.
Annor, only 24 years, has already accumulated experience in Spanish football having played for CF Fuenlabrada in Madrid and Burgos CF. After shining at Ghana Premier League side Bechem United between 2014 and 2017, Yaw Annor joined Fuenlabrada and featured considerable matches 30 as he netted 3 times for the Spanish side.
In the 2018 season, the Ghanaian International moved to Burgos CF and got some 20 league games under his belt, managing 2 goals. He returned to the Ghana Premier League in the 2019-2020 season before completing a move to Ash Gold ahead of 202o-2021 season.
Having gained experience at the Miners in first season of his three years deal, Yaw Annor has risen to prominence at Ash Gold. The 24-year old has struck 11 times/24 games to appear in top five goal-scorers of the Ghanaian top flight.
It’s unclear whether Ash Gold will sell their prize asset but Kotoko know how to snatch moves of this nature. The former Bechem United star is valued €125, 000 and Kotoko could match such amount.
Yaw Annor career outside Ghana Premier League
In 2014–2015, Annor was promoted to the senior side of Bechem United by head coach Tom Strand who was impressed after watching him train with the youth team. He became a key player for the club from 2015 to 2017. In the 2015 season, he scored 5 goals in the league.
The most notable amongst those goals was on the final game of the season, when he scored the first goal in a match against BA United. His goal inspired Bechem to a 4–1 victory over the Sunyani-based side which pushed them from their initial relegation spot–14th position to the 10th position to avoid being relegated to the Division One League.
At the end of the 2016 season, Annor moved to Spain and joined Segunda División B side CF Fuenlabrada in March 2017 on a three-year deal. in his first season, he featured in 9 league matches and scored 2 goals before the season came to an end. On 1 November 2017, he scored in the 24th minute to help salvage a win for Fuenlabrada in a match against CD Toledo, he played 70 minutes of the match as they won by 4–3. He featured in both legs of their 2017–18 Copa del Rey matches against Real Madrid.
On 26 October 2017, he featured in the first leg coming on in the 53rd minute as a substitute for Juan Quero, whilst on 28 November 2017, he started the second leg match and played 78 minutes before being substituted for Juan Quero. Fuenlabrada held Real Madrid to a 2–2 draw but lost on 4–2 aggregate. At the end of his stay with the club he had made 31 league appearances and netted three goals.
