Former player reveals what Brazilian star MICHAEL VINICIUS will become at Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko former striker Eric Bekoe has backed new club signing Michael Vinicius to excel in the Ghana Premier League.
Vinicius is the latest Brazilian to joined the Porcupine Warriors on a two-and-a-half-year deal as the Ghana Premier League outfit step up breeding South American contingent.
He has become the fourth Brazilian to join the club in the last 16 years following Fabio Gama Dos Santos last year, Gleisson de Souza Ferreira in 2005 and Hermes da Silva in 2013.
Kotoko will reportedly extend their search for top talents in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Colombia in a bid to build strong squad for the Caf Champions League next season.
While the signing of Vinicius has come along with few critics especially as to whether the Brazilian will adopt to the Ghanaian and African game, 2008 Caf Confederation Cup top scorer Bekoe who played for Kotoko has backed the 28-year old forward to succeed.
Vinicius compatriot Fabio Gama has already settled in the Porcupine fraternity and Bekoe believes Vinicius can follow the footsteps of Gama and excel in the topflight.
“Kotoko have made the perfect signing. If a car has a problem with the engine, we don’t buy a tire. Today we have watched videos of the boy [Vinicius],” former GPL top scorer Bekoe told Energy FM.
“When Gama was coming people said all sort of things.
“They said he is a carpenter, but for me, Fabio Gama is my toast of the season. Football is being played by footballers and it has one language.
Last October, Gama transferred to Kotoko amid questions over his quality but a run of fine performances in the GPL has seemingly silenced many of his critics.
“So it doesn’t matter whether you are from Kosovo or South America. If you understand the football language that is it. People say Fabio Gama is weak and he needs to be strong. That is how he is made to play.”
Vinicius featured for Fluminense and Criciuma in his homeland before leaving for Estoril in Portugal in 2016.
He then made a comeback to Brazil, joining America Mineiro, and going on to also play for Resende and Cascavel before transferring to Linkoping City in Sweden in 2019.
“Fabio Gama might be weak but what is his contribution on the field compared to those we think are fit for. In Ghana when you are muscular that is when people think you are fit,” Bekoe added.
“If you look at the [recent Caf Confederation Cup] game against ES Setif, Kwame Poku was the only bulky player in the Kotoko team, but look at the Setif team, body-wise, tactical wise, discipline on the field and everything. We have a long way to go.”
Last year, he was on the books of Japanese third tier side Grulla Marioka before returning to Sweden to join Vasalunds.
Kotoko, 23-time GPL champions, are looking to win the title for the first time since 2014. They sit fourth on the league table midway through this season’s championship.
The Ghanaian side have already lost their danger man Kwame Opoku to Algerian outfit USM Alger and the signing of Vinicius seems the replacement.
The Alger new signing established a good partnership with Gama after the Brazilian learning very well how to play Opoku through on goal.
With the Ghanaian departed, Gama would now have to learn how he would play with Vinicius but the play-maker believes playing with his country man in the same team would not be a problem.
Gama stated that Vinicius will hit the ground running while he helps him adapt the life in Ghana.
“I’m sure that Michael (together with me) will do a good job here. I’m happy because he is of the same country with me so I’m happy with this.
“So I just wish he comes here to enjoy the life in Ghana, the pitch in Ghana and everything,” Fabio Gama said in a video posted on the Twitter page of Kotoko.
“When you come here everything is different but you have people to help you. The football is equal everywhere so I just wish him all the best.”
