Asante Kotoko rubbishes coach Mariano Barreto’s alleged Ramadan comments

Asante Kotoko has rubbished media reports indicating that the head coach of the side Mariano Barreto has made some unpleasant comments to the Muslim players in the team regarding their ongoing prayer and fasting.

The media report stated that the Portuguese trainer held a meeting with about 13 Muslim players in the club and suggested to them that Ramadan is not compulsory.

Muslims around the world are fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which faithful followers abstain from eating or drinking during daylight hours.

But the coach was reported to have told the players it wasn’t compulsory to fast and they can sit out of training if they can’t cope.

The club’s Acting Communications Director, David Obeng Nyarko, has sharply rubbished the claims stating that such
‘Fake stories” are just ‘ploys’ to get them ‘distracted’.

He posted on his Facebook wall;

Fellow warriors, Kindly disregard the wicked lies being purported that our Muslim players met with Coach Barreto about Ramadan and training to which the Coach made certain pronouncements.

1. There was never such a meeting and Coach Barreto has not made any statement about the matter at stake to the players.
2. Coach Barreto with his experience in coaching (3yrs coaching experience in Saudi Arabia ) wouldn’t make such a comment or whatsoever.

Fake stories like these are just ploys to get us distracted and bring down our progress. Let’s please stay focus.

David Obeng Nyarko, Communications Manager, Asante Kotoko #AKS?