Kotoko Confirm Bonus Restructure

Kumasi Asante Kotoko has confirmed that the club has reclassified the bonus structure for the playing body.

The winning bonus of players were paid depending on when a player joined the club. New players were paid more in winning bonus and earned less in monthly salary and vice versa.

The structure brought disharmony within the playing body, but those issues were thrashed out amicably after a meeting between management and the players.

However, the club has restructured the bonuses and all players will earn equally.

Deputy Operations Manager, Ali Maradona in an interview with Kumasi-based radio station, Sikka FM, confirmed the new structure.

Kotoko Confirm Bonus Restructure

Kotoko Rubbish Tom Strand Talks

Kumasi Asante Kotoko have rubbished reports that the club held ‘secret’ talks with Medeama SC boss, Tom Strand.

Media reports on Sunday afternoon were rife that the Porcupine Warriors leadership met with the MTN FA Cup winner and agreed on a two-year contract.

But the club through it’s Communication Director, Kweku Ahenkorah and Deputy Operations Manager, Ali Maradona on different media platforms poured cold ice on those reports.

“The management of Kotoko has not held any secret talks with Tom Strand. Neither has management authorised anybody to secretly speak to him on our behalf,” Ahenkorah said on Kumasi based Kessben FM.

“Kotoko has a contract with coach David Duncan just as Tom Strand is contracted to Medeama. It is also alien to our scheme of things as a club to be talking to coaches contracted to other clubs more so when we have a contract with another coach.” he added.

He urged fans to disregard the reports and continue to have trust in the management and technical team to turn things around for the fabulous club.

Ali Maradona in an interview with Happy FM, said: “The management of Kotoko has not met with any coach to replace Coach Duncan.  The reports are false and a calculated attempt to distract the focus of the club”.

“The media reported that Coach Duncan was going to be sacked if we lose against Berekum Chelsea, which was not true. They came out with some reports that Duncan was given a three-match ultimatum after our emergency meeting, which was also not true,” he said.

“The media should desist from such reports.” he added.

Kotoko Rubbish Tom Strand Talks

Hearts Never Knew Kenichi - Maradona

Accra Hearts of Oak never knew head coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi anywhere according to Asante Kotoko deputy Operations Manager, Ali Maradona.

Ali Maradona claim the Phobians got into contact with their Japanese American trainer via Social Media site Facebook, before the former Aspire Academy players development coach agreed to fly down to Ghana for negotiations.

The Phobians shocked the entire Ghanaian football family when they appointed the unknown tactician as the clubs’technical head on October 29 2015, snubbing several high profile coaches who had applied for the top job.

Many football enthusiasts, including ardent Hearts of Oak fans are still bemused regarding the choice of ‘King Keni’, with a section of the fans still questioning management on the basis of the appointment and how he was scouted in the first place.

But long-serving Asante Kotoko official Ali Maradona says he has been briefed by a top member of Accra Hearts of Oak on how coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi was scouted, disclosing that the Japanese American was found on Facebook by a Hearts official.

“The story of this new Hearts of Oak coach has generated a lot of controversies as to where he was and on what track record they saw before signing him but I can confidently tell you that the coach (Kenichi Yatsuhashi) was seen on Facebook by a Hearts big man and they started chatting”, Ali Maradona said in an interview with Accra-based Atinka FM.

“Anyone within the Hearts of Oak set up must confront me and I reveal the source, because the source is within their own club, a very big man in the club told me.

“They never knew the coach anywhere, whoever will tell you that he/she knew the coach before his appointment is a liar, I know the person who did the chatting with him on Facebook and after watching the coach’s pictures, asked him if he would love to coach in Ghana and the coach agreed”, He added.

Several top Hearts of Oak men, including ex board members have slated the current management of the club for choosing Kenichi to lead the club, with 2000 CAF Champions League board chairman Harry Zakour mocking the Japanese as nothing better than a ‘Toyota engineer’.

The Hearts of Oak coach, who has endured a torrid pre-season in charge of the club, is a social media friendly, and spends plenty of his time on Twitter and Facebook.

Hearts Never Knew Kenichi - Maradona

We Will Invoke Curses On Journalists For Negative Reportage - Kotoko

Kumasi Asante Kotoko has sent a chisel warning to journalists who who report stories the club feel are negative and will destroy the image if the club.

Assistant Operations Manager, Alhaji Ali Maradona claim journalists reports negative and untrue stories to to dent the hard earned reputation of the club and they will not hesitate to invoke curses on those media personnel. 

Kumasi Asante Kotoko has sometimes come under the flak from the Ghanaian media for some decisions they deem inappropriate and should not come from such a ‘traditional club.’

Many other media platforms has also reported stories about life patron and owner of the club, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II dissolving current management headed by Opoku Nti.

Last week, Asante Kotoko told the media to stop changing management of the club at will, after it emerged that Opoku Nti was at the verge of losing his job.

The club claim the reports were untru and deputy Operations Manager Ali Maradona has told the media that powerful deities and Mallams will be consulted to invoke curse on any journalist who report lies about the club.

“This year, we are on the lookout for journalists who report lies about Kotoko,” Ali Maradona told Atinka FM.

“Kweku Bonsam, Pastors, Mallams, have been contacted to invoke curses on all those media personnel who will make allegations against the club. We are invoking curses on whoever will say anything false or bad about Kotoko because this year’s league is not likely to end successfully because of false and negative reportage.” He explained.

“There are so many whatsapp groups and all they do is to spread false information about Kotoko, abd and the best we can do to put an end to all this to invoke curses because people of today are not afraid using the holy books anymore.” He said.

Asante Kotoko ended last season on second and will open their quest to wrestle back they lost to Ashanti Gold on February 20 at the Sogakope Park against West Africa Football Academy.

We Will Invoke Curses On Journalists For Negative Reportage - Kotoko

Kotoko New Players Are Far Better Than Those Offloaded - Maradona

New Kotoko Signings Are Better Than Old Players – Maradona

 

Deputy Operations Manager of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Ali Maradona says the new players signed by the club are far better than those they offloaded.

 

The Porcupine Warriors decision to sign players has not sat well with a section of their fans calling for the return of some of the players the club has offloaded. The technical team however managed to whether the storm justifying the new players are to beef – up the side ahead of the upcoming season.

 

Former skipper Jordan Opoku and winger Richard Mpong reacted angrily upon hearing the news of their transfer but Deputy Operations Manager of the club insists that the new players signed are better than those transferred

“I can boldly say that the players we have signed are better than those we offloaded, especially those we put on transfer.”

“Every team sets out to build a team with better players and that is exactly what we have done. We have signed players we think are better than those who went.”

He concluded,   “those who have watched the new players at training or in matches will know that they are better than those we transferred.”

Kotoko New Players Are Far Better Than Those Offloaded - Maradona