Asante Kotoko’s worst XI of the Kwame Kyei Administration

Dr. Kwame Kyei’s administration has been hugely criticized with regards to how players were signed into the club. The club is reported to have purchased over 70 players within three years.

The team has however, been successful in the years under review despite the signings.

Kotoko’s transfers and signings clearly shows they were planned.

Myfabulousonline.com decided to look back at some of Kotoko’s mistakes and misfits, with the club’s worst XI of the Dr Kwame Kyei era in a 3-4-3 formation.

Muntari Tagoe

Goalkeeper has long been a position of strength for the Fabulous club, the likes of Soulama Abdulai, Felix Annan, Isaac Amoako has established themselves amongst the Premier League’s finest during distinguished Kotoko careers.

We’ve opted for one of several back-up options to warm the Kotoko bench, with former Medaeama captain Tagoe taking his place in goal. Despite arriving with a reputation as a solid shot-stopper, Muntari Tagoe would spend almost a year at the club, most of it spent in the dugout.

He made less than five appearances for the club and was released last year.

Emmanuel Owusu

Asante Kotoko signed Owusu from lower-tier side Nea Salamina to add depth to the squad in 2017, where the centre-back had been a favourite at the division one side. Despite simply being a back-up action at Kotoko, Owusu struggled when given minutes under Steve Pollack.

After just a season he was sent packing under CK Akonnor and he is currently with Berekum Chelsea where he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the premier league.

Stephen Ayiku Tetteh

Theoretically, Ayiku Tetteh could still turn around his Kotoko tenure as he’s still on the books having returned from an unsuccessful loan spell at Legon Cities.

He had a fantastic season at Ivorian side USC Bassam enticed the Reds to invite the centre-back for trials. Very quickly, he found life at the club to be much tougher than anticipated.

Abass Mohammed

The once-capped Black Stars player joined the Reds in 2018 under the reign of CK Akonnor after returning from a season spell in the United States with USL side Harrisburg Islanders.

Abass enjoyed a bright start to life at Kotoko in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup. He was however denied a consistent run of games by intermittent injury setbacks.

It’s not that he has played atrociously in Kumasi, but neither has he reached the heights expected of him with his experience from Inter Allies and other clubs.

In December 2019, Abass suffered an injury while playing a gala at Tafo after breaking from camp.

Didi Arnold Alexis 

The Ivorian midfielder went through a three days trial under former coach Kjetil Zachariassen before he was given a three-year contract to become one of the highest earnest in the club

Didi’s performance at Kotoko was nothing to write home about and has never started a game for the porcupine warriors.

His contract was terminated later and was rewarded with a three-month salary.

Daniel Nii Adjei

One of the club’s best talents in the last two decades but second spell at the club was a disastrous one.

In the twilight of his career, the 30-year-old was looking to lead the Porcupines to a first-ever Confederation Cup title, having rejoined the side in October 2018 but failed to make CK Akonnor’s matchday team and was released the following season.

He was signed hoping the playmaker would be able to rediscover his best form he had exhibited at the club before moving to TP Mazembe in 2012 but it proved to be a false dawn.

Umar Bashiru

CK Akonnor signed the midfielder when he took over the club in 2018 after the latter had impressed at WAFA.

Whilst a solid Ghana  Premier League player, Bashiru was not at the level required for a club of Kotoko’s ambitions and struggled to make a breakthrough, behind the likes of Kwame Bonsu, Richard Senanu, etc in the pecking order for midfield places.

After just a season, he saw his contract terminated after coach Zachariassen told him he doesn’t know him to be a Kotoko player. Sigh

Baba Mahama

Another midfielder who never looked good enough for the Reds.

He was regarded by the Fabulous fans as the ‘Football President’. The 22-year-old was brought from Techiman City when the side suffered relegation to Division One after the 2015/16 season and received the ten shirt.

After a good first spell with the club, Baba Mahama failed to hold down a regular place in the ongoing 2017/18 ZylofonCash Premier League, featuring in only three league games (twice from the bench) under coach Paa Kwesi Fabin. He had his contract with the club terminated after.

George Abege

With an impressive showing at the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup with Kariobangi Sharks convinced Asante Kotoko to capture the Ugandan. But little did they know he was not the solution to their goal-scoring problem. Interestingly, he became the highest-paid player in Kotoko after penning a three-year-deal in 2019 under Kjetil Zachariassen.

However, the towering forward failed to make an impact since his arrival in Ghana – arguably the worst striker under the Dr Kwame Kyei era with his transfer fee and his wages he received.

Asante Kotoko later wanted a loan deal for the bulky striker but they could not find a club for him hence the termination of Contract.

Mawuli Osei

Osei joined Asante Kotoko in February 2018 under Paa Kwesi Fabin after several years in Israel where he featured for Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Bnei Lod and a host of others.

With his experience, the 29-year-old failed to grab headlines in Kumasi – making four premier league appearances with a single goal.

He saw his contract terminated after just 90 days at the club.

Zabo Teguy

Asante Kotoko completed the signing of the Ivorian international in 2018 prior to their CAF Confederation Cup campaign. He penned a 3-year deal with the Porcupines but lasted only a season.

Zabo Teguy looked big and strong like anything could hit him and stick. He should have been a colossus, but he just wasn’t.

The Ivorian import has been one of Kotoko’s worst signing of the decade and the club were happy to let him leave last year despite being short in attack, which sums up his situation.

Coach: Kjetil Zachariassen

Zachariassen led Kotoko to a sub 40% winning percentage in less than one season in charge, the only permanent manager in the millennium, let alone the decade, to not win at least half of his games in charge.

The Norwegian was sacked for poor performance last year November, only four months after assuming duty as head coach of the club. He failed to qualify the team to the CAF Champions League group stage as well as the CAF confederation cup in less than a month.

Credit: Myfabulousonline