Kotoko and Ashanti Gold deserve to represent Ghana in Africa if the league is annulled – Kofi Manu

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Outspoken Football Administrator, Kofi Manu has explained that Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold are the rightful clubs to represent Ghana in Africa should the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League be annulled.

All football activities have been put on hold due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease globally. The situation has affected all federations worldwide, and as a result they have started reviewing their programs.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) have written to its members to take decisions with regards to their national leagues and submit their representatives for Africa competitions next season.

The Ghana Football Association has started engaging the clubs although some people have called for the cancellation of the fifteen-week old league. One decision that would be difficult to solve is the clubs to represent Ghana.

But the veteran administrator believes that Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold should be given the nod to represent Ghana in the Caf champions League and Confederation Cup respectively should there be a compromise to cancel the 2019/20 season.

According to him, the GFA sees NC Special competition which qualified the two teams to Africa last season as equivalent to the national league.

“Covid-19 is a natural disaster and for that matter a force majeure which you can’t blame Ghana if our league season is discontinued and of that happens Asante Kotoko and Ashantigold are the rightful clubs to claim the spot of Champions league and Confederations Cup respectively,” he told Oyerepa FM.

“These two clubs should be representing Ghana unless they want unnecessary fight.

“The player and coaches status committee of the GFA in the ruling of the case between CK Akonnor and Asante Kotoko stated categorically and in their decision that has become a law that the NC tier 1 competition is equivalent to the national league, once the GFA has made it a law, we can’t do otherwise.

“It has been established that the NC tier1 is as good as the national league and the CAF club competitions regulations stipulates clearly they are the only two who can represent Ghana.”

Asante Kotoko reached the second knock out phase of the CAF Champions League last year where they got eliminated by Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia while Ashanti Gold SC reached the second round and got eliminated by RS Berkane of Morocco.