Franck Etouga 3 goals away from tallying Kotoko legend Opoku Afriyie’s record

Asante Kotoko forward Franck Mbella Etouga is having quite a season.

The Cameroonian continued with his red-hot form on Saturday afternoon as he scored the only goal in Kotoko’s 1-0 win over WAFA in Sogakope in a Premier League matchday 27 fixture.

His goal means he has scored 18 goals in 23 games in the league, leading the goalking chart — 6 goals above Bright Adjei and Yaw Annor.

The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the most prolific players that has donned the Red and Whites colors, and the numbers back him up. 

Etouga now inches closer to equal the late Opoku Afriyie’s 21 goals scored in the 1981 season to become the second-highest scorer in a season. He had already scored 26 goals in 1979 to emerge the top scorer that season and it is the second highest goals scored in a single season in the Ghanaian league after Bofoakwa Tano’s Dan Owusu 26 goals.

Etouga has overtaken Eric Bekoe, Alex Asamoah and Thomas Boakye on Kotoko’s goal scorers chart. Bekoe scored 17 goals in the 2007/2008 season, Alex Asamoah scored 16 goals in the 2008/2009 season and Thomas Boakye scored 12 goals in the 1990/1991 season to emerge top scorers in the league.

Overall, he is third on the list and could match Opoku Afriyie’s 21-goal tally if he scores a hattrick in the nest game at home to Aduana Stars.

Meanwhile, Opoku Afriyie died on 29th March 2020 at the age of 65 in Kumasi.

Opoku Afriyie made his name in Kotoko as a goal machine having joined in 1974. He won 4 league titles with Kotoko in 1975, 1980,1981 and 1982. As captain of Kotoko from 1979 after the exit of Abdul Razak, he led the team to the Africa Cup of Champion Clubs final but lost to Al Ahly. He led the attack for Kotoko and scored several goals as Kotoko beat Hearts 5 out of 7 matches in the early 1980’s.

He won Ghana 1st Division league Top Scorer award twice in 1979 and 1981. He came 2nd to Dan Owusu of Bofoakwa in 1975 and again to Emmanuel Quashie of Hasaacas in 1980. He was nominated for the 1982 African player of the year by the French Football Magazine.

Afriyie was retired from Kotoko by the then Kotoko chairman Yaw Bawuah, no official reason was given for that decision amid rumours of insubordination and later joined Hearts of Oak in 1984 and helped the Phobians win the league title in his first year and then successfully defended the league title in 1985. He played Hearts for 3 seasons before finally hanging his boots.