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Asante Kotoko: History, Owner, Trophies & Training Grounds 

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ASANTE KOTOKO: History, Owner, Trophies & Training Grounds

Asante Kotoko full name Asante Kotoko sporting club, Nickname(s) PORCUPINE WARRIORS is a professional football club from Kumasi, Ashanti Region of Ghana. They compete in the Ghanaian premier league and have been champions of the Ghana league a record 25 times, have won the CAF champions league twice.

The foundation for what can be described as Ghana’s best football club in terms of achievements both at home and abroad was laid by 13 young men led by a young driver, Kwasi Kuma ably assisted by his close friend Lawrence Yaw Asamoah, an electrician.

History

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Photos of some former Asante Kotoko players

Asantehene King Prempeh II, is the first life patron of Asante Kotoko. Kwasi Kuma from Nyankyerase near Kwadaso, a Kumasi suburb, was a driver in the colonial days to a Col. Ross an English Amy officer in the Gold Coast Army. In early 1924 Kwasi had watched an exciting football match in Accra between Accra Standfast and Accra Hearts of Oak and was really thrilled. He developed so much interest in football that he nursed an ambition to form a club of his own in the future. Hearts won the said match 2-1 and Sir Gordon Guggisberg, Governor of the Gold Coast presented a set of jerseys to Hearts for their good performance.

When Col. Ross returned to Britain for good towards the end of 1924, Kuma also had to return home to Kumasi where he decided to pursue his ambition of forming a club of his own. Indeed he had bought a set of jerseys from Accra for the purpose. With co-operation of his close friend, Lawrence Yaw Asamoah, he formed Kumasi Rainbow towards the end of the year 1924.

Two years later the name was changed to Ashanti United after the leaders had succeeded in recruiting a number of young promising students from ECM (Anglican) and AME Zion and Government School all in Kumasi. The two gentlemen tried to promote the game in Ashanti and within five years Ashanti could boast of strong teams like Evertons, Royals, Never Miss, Europeans, Primrose and Highlanders.

In 1931 it was decided once more to change the name of Ashanti United to Kumasi Titanics. This was the time the club had been really handicapped because most of their players in government departments like the Prisons and Railways had gone on transfer from Kumasi.

The story goes that Titanics did not find enough luck in their new name and in 1934 they adopted a more powerful name- Mighty Atoms. Still the club did not see enough progress and in 1935 Mr. James Frimpong, popularly called Teacher Frimpong, a teacher at the Kumasi Government School, now Asem Boys School, organized some young energetic boys from his school and suggested a change of name from Atoms to Asante Kotoko. This was after he had obtained special permission from the Asantehene Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II.

The club was officially inaugurated on August 31, 1935 before a great assembly of chiefs and people from all walks of life. The Asantehene was represented by the Atipinhene of Kumasi, Nana Boakye Yamoa. The Asantehene and the Atipinhene were elected patrons and the first elected officers were James Darkwa- President, John Darkwa- Treasurer, John Osei Secretary, Kwame Frimpong and Kwasi Oppong- Trainers.

FOUNDED

31 August 1935, 86 years ago.

GROUND/CAPACITY

Baba Yara sports stadium Kumasi, Ashanti Region Ghana. 40,528capacity

OWNER

Owner and Life Patron of Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko hene at a Grande durbar

Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II is the life Patron and sole shareholder of the club. However, the Overlord of the Asante Kingdom has constituted a twelve-member board chaired by business tycoon, Dr Kwame Kyei, ably assisted by Mr Jude Arthur- Vice Chairman; Kwadwo Boateng Gyamfi; Kwasi Osei Ofori; Alhaji Lamin Abu, Madam Evelyn Nsiah-Asare, Dr Kofi Amoa-Abban, James Osei Brown, Martin Brobbey, Kwamina Mensah (Esq), Joseph Yaw Adu and Nana Ankobeahene of Asanteman, Baffour Kwame Kusi.

COACH

Prosper Narteh Ogum

CAPTAIN

Ismail Abdul Ganiyu

HONOURS

Ghana premier league: 25

GFA Normalization committee special competition: 1

MTN FA cup: 9

Ghana super cup: 16

President cup: 8

International titles: African cup of champions clubs/CAF champions league:

Training Facility

Asante Kotoko training grounds at Adako Jarchie
Former coach Steve Polack watching closely as his team trains

The Porcupine Warriors have their training facilities at Adako Jarchie, a suburb of Kumasi. Where the club have two modern pitches, hostel, toilet facilities and soon to be constructed swimming pool.

Story by: Samuel Afoakwa

Credit: Asante Kotoko Express App

Ghana Football

AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Jojo Wollacott suffers injury during Black Stars training ahead of Angola clash

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AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Jojo Wollacott suffers injury during Black Stars training ahead of Angola clash

On Tuesday evening, Ghana goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott suffered a new injury during a Black Stars training session in Kumasi.

Wollacott was injured during training at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium when a goalpost fell on him.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper, who recently recovered from a finger injury that kept him out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, was helped to his feet before limping off the pitch.

Wollacott will have a scan to determine the extent of his injury before the Angola doubleheader.

The first leg will take place on March 23 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, with the second leg scheduled for March 27 in Luanda.

AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Jojo Wollacott suffers injury during Black Stars training ahead of Angola clash

Ghana is currently tied for first place in Group E, with four points earned from their previous two matches, which included a 3-0 win over Madagascar and a 1-1 draw with the Central African Republic in June of last year.

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Jerome Otchere’s Take: Why Hughton impressed me

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Ghana coach Chris Hughton claims he developed positive relationships with his players while serving as technical advisor

Black Stars coach Chris Hughton lived up to expectation at the press conference in Kumasi, which officially unveiled him to the Ghanaian. Some have argued that for a coach of his make, he wouldn’t underperform at a press event. I agree with that. 

For any candid review, too, Chris Hughton’s responses to questions, his depth of knowledge and composure wouldn’t also escape attention. I believe he’s the coach Ghana should’ve had a year back but there’s no need elaborating on that point. 

I take a leaf from a decent answer Hughton gave on the issue of interference in selection to say, we must leave the past behind and focus on the future. “All I can say is, I am the new head coach. Anything you speak of before my time here is very much something you’re bringing up. It’s in the past,” said Chris Hughton. 

An AFCON qualifier awaits us on Thursday against Angola. Hughton has already named his squad. What lies ahead is what presently matters. Thus, in our forward march, Hughton made modest promises. 

“I will be spending more time in Ghana. I will be watching more games. I am constantly being made aware of players who are doing well. I’ll be paying more attention to [GPL] games because it is important that we have a strong national league” he said.   

“No coach can sit here and guarantee a trophy buy what I can guarantee is a strong team. We want to see a winning team”. In all, relevant questions were asked, and Hughton answered them well like the one concerning his contract. It’s been argued that discussions on his contract are needless, but that position is flawed.

When we’ve not kept a coach for long in recent years, there’s every need to ask what Hughton makes of his 21-month contract. “I have to get the right balance of what’s short-term, what’s medium term, and what’s long term. At this moment, always the most important is short-term. Winning football matches that’ll get you into a better position to when the other games come around. 

“The medium term of course is making sure that you all qualify and do well in the competition itself. The longer term, of course, is about developing players and bringing players through the system and that takes time. There’s no doubt, as a team that played in the World Cup with the youngest team, we’ve to have an eye on development. 

“And development can take time and sometimes this is where you need that little bit of patience from the likes of yourself, the journalists, the supporters” said Hughton. “So, the length of my contact is probably the correct length”.

That enlightened answer on his contract is why Hughton impressed me. We’ve been on this short-term Black Stars coaching business. The responses you get from people you expect to know better, is as if you’re an enemy of state who hates progress. Hughton, by that informed response and the others he gave showed why we must support him. 

Source: Jeromeotchere.com

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AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Koln winger Kingsley Schindler replaces injured Tariq Lamptey

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AFCON 2023 Qualifiers: Koln winger Kingsley Schindler replaces injured Tariq Lamptey

Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has called up German-born Ghanaian winger Kingsley Schindler for the game against Angola.

Tariq Lamptey, who is out with an injury, was replaced by the 29-year-old.

The Koln winger is making his first national team appearance and could make his debut against Angola on Thursday.

This season, the former Holstein Kiel winger has been consistent for FC Koln, appearing in 20 Bundesliga games.

Schindler arrived in Ghana on Monday and began training with the rest of the team as preparations for the game in Kumasi began.

Meanwhile, seventeen players arrived at camp, with the remainder of the team expected to arrive today before the squad departs for Kumasi on Tuesday.

Abdul Manaf Nurudeen, Joseph Wollacott, Alexander Djiku, Denis Odoi, Kingsley Schindler, Patrick Kpozo, Daniel Amartey, Joseph Aidoo, Andre Ayew, Joseph Painstil, Ransford Yeboah, Inaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu, Majeed Ashimeru and Edmund Addo were the players in camp.

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

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