The recent dip in form of Asante Kotoko Sporting Club has been attributed to some factors, including players off-pitch attitude, Head Coach, Dr. Prosper Narteh Ogum, has averred.
The coach has advised that the players plan their lives to suit their profession.
Addressing the media on some of the challenges contributing to the club’s recent poor performance, the coach spoke against the precious time wasted by players in search of food whilst they could have avoided that.
“I don’t see why you should be roaming everyday go and stand by the waakye seller go and buy waakye when you have been paid.
“Buy your bag of rice, if you know someone let her prepare you a soup or stew and keep it in the fridge. Rather than after training you spend one or two hours going to Ejisu or coming to Tech to look for food and buy, if you had rested with that one hour, wouldn’t it have aided your recovery? So I do a lot of education with them,” he counseled.
Meanwhile, he has criticised some supposed senior players who have turned politicians in the club.
He said those senior players who do not fit into his tactics and are still in the club for some reasons have courted some media men to campaign for them for positions in his lineup.
Addressing the media Wednesday, November 8, 2023, Dr. Ogum indicated that such antics do not move him.
“I made some players to stay because per me staying at home one year and watching the team I saw that those I asked to stay could help in the cause, what I want to do.
“I have a tactical sheet, every match we play if this player is good, I pencil him down. I’m fixing my tactical sheet in the house so those premier league players, were brought in, first division and division two were brought in. It’s all about the coach thinking that those players can help so if you’re an old player and you never worked with the coach, and you know who the coach is and what the coach represents, and the coach comes and you think that you can be a politician in the club, I tell them, most of you are politicians I know but I don’t want to mind you.
“Players stay in Kotoko after one two years they turn into politicians. They use the media to fight for positions to play. But me as a coach you’ll never get me because I’m so strong minded that it’s not what people say that I follow,” the coach who was visibly disappointed spoke out.
He advised that people discuss issues dispassionately rather than resorting to emotions.
“The fact that something is wrong and all of us here in the room are saying it is right and I know that it is wrong, I won’t join you. Commonsense will not permit me to do that.
“You should look at things critically and talk to those issues as they are. Do not discuss issues based on emotions and based on tactical facts,” he said.
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Asante Kotoko have won only two matches out of the 9 they’ve played this season, drawing 4 and losing 3. They are currently occupying the 14th position with 10 points.
