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The Phobians legend reveals his coaching ambitions for a club which was once his rival.
 
Former Hearts of Oak and attacker Bernard Dong Bortey believes he has what it takes to lead rival club Asante Kotoko to Caf Champions League glory.

The 38-year-old recently announced his retirement from active football in an interview with Goal earlier this year, revealing he has identified coaching as the next step for his career.

Kotoko have been on the search for a continental title since winning the 1983 Champions League title.

"Kotoko's Caf continental trophy droughts can be solved by me if I become coach for Kotoko," Bortey told Hot FM.

"I am ever ready to coach Kotoko and I can win Africa for Kotoko.

“Kotoko have a good strong squad for the Ghana Premier League but they have to buy players outside Ghana to blend the players for them to be able to succeed in Africa."

Kotoko's closest chance of winning a continental trophy in recent times came in 2004 when they reached the final of the inaugural Caf Confederation Cup competition. In the end, their attempt ended in disappointment as they lost to rivals Hearts in an all-Ghana final, interestingly with Bortey on the side of the Phobians.

Two years earlier, the Porcupine Warriors succumbed to Moroccan club Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) Casablanca in the final of the now-defunct Caf Cup Winners' Cup.

In the Champions League, Kotoko have not progressed beyond the group stage of the competition since 2006.

This season, Maxwell Konadu's outfit is set to make another attempt for the cup.

"I want to be a coach now. I’ve retired. I was not 100 per cent sure but I have done it," Bortey told Goal in April.

'I’m still playing football but not competitively. I don’t want to play any more competitive leagues like the Ghana Premier League because I have made my name already.

"Everybody knows my name in Ghana football. So I have to leave for the young ones to take over. Now, I’m a coach. I’m not a footballer anymore. I’ve retired."

Bortey, who played over 20 times for Ghana at senior level, also won four Ghana Premier League (GPL) titles with Hearts and the 2002 league goal-king award.