NDC flagbearer hopeful blames Asante Kotoko’s retrogression on fans’ impatience

Kojo Bonsu, a flagbearer hopeful for the opposition National Democratic Congress and former Executive Member of Asante Kotoko, has identified the impatience of the club’s fans as the major issue affecting the team.

In the last ten years, Asante Kotoko has experienced numerous changes in both the technical and management teams, as successive administrations have given in to the pressure from fans to switch coaches whenever the club suffers a series of poor results. Over the years, the team has had coaches like Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, David Duncan, Michael Osei, Zdravko Lugarusic, Godwin Ablodey, Frimpong Manso, Steve Polack, Paa Kwesi Fabin, Kjetel Zachiariason, Prosper Narteh Ogum, and Seydou Zeboh.

There have also been several changes in the Board of Directors and management of the club in recent years. Kojo Bonsu, a former Adidas West African representative, is convinced that Kotoko can only succeed in winning titles with proper long-term planning and consistency in both the coaching and administrative departments of the club.

In his view, “There’s a problem with Kotoko and Kumasi, we don’t have the patience to see good results. You need to build, but they want instant results and it won’t work. I’ve worked with Kotoko for many years. In 1983, we won the cup after going through 79, 80, 81 and reaching the final in 82 before winning it the following year. So, we need to build momentum, but we are not doing that. One minute you hear there’s a coach from Burkina Faso, the next you hear he’s been sacked. We need to have patience.”

Bonsu is calling on the club’s management to establish an academy and engage in proper scouting to help the team regain its former glory both domestically and continentally.

“We have to do proper scouting and get an academy. If we don’t have an academy, all the players will just come and go. So, we need to have a system, but unfortunately, we are not prepared to wait for the system. We need to build, have patience, and give management time to run the club,” he emphasized.