<<Print>>

Reports from the Manhyia Palace as of press time yesterday indicated that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had appointed former international, Opoku Nti, as acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kumasi Asante Kotoko. He will be supported by the accountant of the club, Mr Charles Opoku, to run the affairs of the club until a substantive CEO is appointed. Otumfuo also asked the head coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, who was asked by the former management to leave the club or get the sack, to remain at post and prepare the club for the coming season. A reliable source told the Graphic Sports that the Asantehene took the decision yesterday after a meeting with the three personalities at the Manhyia Palace. Opoku Nti was a member of the Asante Kotoko Africa Cup winning squad in 1983. He scored the winning goal that clinched the trophy for Kotoko against Al-Ahly in Kumasi The appointment came just a day after the Board of Directors of Kotoko appointed private legal practitioner, Paul Adu-Gyamfi, as its interim chairman, to help bring stability into the affairs of the league champions as they await word from the Manhyia Palace on the future direction of the club. After a marathon meeting at the Kotoko secretariat at Odeneho-Kwadask in Kumasi last Monday, the seven board members that met unanimously settled on Mr Adu-Gyamfi to lead the board to take full charge in managing the club. Management members in the erstwhile Dr K.K. Sarpong administration, including the administrative manager, Mr Ben Nti, International Relations Manager, Mr Kwame Baah-Nuako, and Marketing Manager, Mr Listowell Yesu Bukarson, have all been asked to take a back seat and would be romped in when and where necessary. Briefing the Graphic Sports on the outcome of the board meeting, Mr Jerry Asare, who had been officially mandated to speak for the board said, �The board has taken full control of the club in view of the tasks ahead of the team in both continental and local competitions.� Mr Adu-Gyamfi, 65, is a senior partner of Adu-Gyamfi and Associates, legal practitioners in Kumasi. He is a former chairman of the Ghana Bar Association, and once chaired the National Media Commission. The interim chairman was one of the 11 persons appointed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to the board three years ago. Dr Sarpong last week announced his resignation as executive chairman, plunging the team into some measure of confusion. He was not invited to the meeting because, according to Mr Asare, there was no justification for that since �the man already declared he had quit his position.� �But in future if we need him to clarify some issues we would invite him,� the spokesman said. He stated that the meeting did not delve into the resignation of Dr Sarpong. �That is not our mandate. It is the sole prerogative of the owner of the club, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.� He mentioned the CAF Champions League, the GHALCA Top 4, recruitment of players and the technical direction of the club, as some of the pressing issues that must be tackled with dispatch. �All these matters would be addressed on Saturday when the board meets again in Kumasi. �We�ve asked the accountant of the club to give us the financial position of Kotoko so that we know how to get the money to recruit quality players. �We can�t rely on the current team for a strong competition in Africa and we surely will have to go to the market to get the best,� Mr Asare said.