Asante Kotoko S.C.
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| Full name | Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Porcupines | ||
| Founded | 1935 | ||
| Ground | Baba Yara Stadium (formerly Kumasi Sports Stadium), Kumasi, Ghana | ||
| Capacity | 40,000 | ||
| Manager | Maxwell Konadu | ||
| League | Glo Premier League | ||
| 2010–11 | 3rd | ||
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Asante Kotoko Football Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, is one of the biggest and most successful professional football clubs in Ghana as well as being one of the more successful teams in Africa, having won twenty national league titles. They have also twice won the CAF Champions League. The club's home ground is the 40,000 all-seater Kumasi Sports Stadium. The full name of the club is Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club.
According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an international organization recognized by FIFA, Asante Kotoko was Africa's best club of the 20th century.[1]
History
The foundation of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club was laid by 13 young Ashanti boys led by a young driver, Mr. Kwasi Kumah, ably supported by L.Y.Asamoah an electrician. Mr. Kwasi Kumah, a native of Nyankyerenease near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, was a chauffeur to an English colonial military officer, Colonel Ross, in Accra. While in Accra, Kwasi Kumah nurtured the idea of forming a football team when he watched an exciting football match between Accra Standfast and Hearts of Oak. Hearts won the match 2-1 and Sir Gordon Guggisberg, then Governor of the Gold Coast, presented a set of jerseys to Hearts for their good performance.
When Colonel Ross returned home for good and Kumah went back home to Kumasi, he bought a set of jerseys to start his football team. With co-operation from his good friend, L.Y.Asamoah, he formed the Ashanti United Football Club in 1926. Five years later the team was renamed Kumasi Titanics. The team was really handicapped because most of the players worked in government organizations like the Prisons and Railways and had been transferred from Kumasi. Titanics did not find enough luck in their new name and in 1934 they adopted a more powerful name, Mighty Atoms. Still the club did not see much progress and in 1935, Mr J.S.K. Frimpong, popularly called Teacher Frimpong, then a teacher of the Kumasi Government School who had all the time shown interest in the club, organized some boys from his school and proposed a change of name from Titanics to Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club. Permission had to be obtained from the Asantehene (King of Ashanti) because the name "Kotoko", meaning "Porcupine" is the official symbol of the Ashanti nation. The Asantehene, Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, became the first life patron of the club. Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club was subsequently formally founded in 1935.
Asante Kotoko's emblem features the "Porcupine", displaying an inbuilt arsenal of sharp spikes for use when attacked by an enemy. [1]
In July 2011, Asante Kotoko and English Premier League club Sunderland signed a partnership agreement, which will see the Sunderland offering practical support and advice in youth coaching, player development, fitness and medical matters as well as football business strategy to Kotoko.[2]
Honours
- 1970, 1983,
- Runners-up - 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1993
- Runners-up - 2002
- Runners-up - 2004
- 1959, 1963/64, 1964/65, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 2003,2005, 2007/08
- 1958, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1984, 1989/90, 1997/98, 2001
- Ghana SWAG Cup: 12
- 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008
- 1999/00, 2001, 2005
- 2003, 2007
- 2004, 2005, 2008
Performance in CAF competitions
- CAF Champions League: 6 appearances
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 16 appearances
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- CAF Confederation Cup: 2 appearances
- CAF Cup: 2 appearances
- 1995 - Quarter-Finals
- 1997 - Second Round
- CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 6 appearances
- 1979 - First Round
- 1985 - Quarter-Finals
- 1991 - First Round
- 1999 - Second Round
- 2002 - Finalist
- 2003 - Quarter-Finals
- 2005 - First Round
Most Memorable Squads
Squad included: Robert Mensah, Ben Acheampong, Dogo Moro, Cifford Odame, Sammy Stevens, Adarkwa, Ibrahim Sunday (Captain), Yaw Sam, Osei Kofi, Abukari Gariba, Albert Essuman "Baby Pele", Malik Jabir, Ohene Brenya, Sulley, Osmanu
Head Coach: Aggrey-Fynn
Club President: I. K. Moukerzel
Sam Ampeh, Haruna Yusif, Samuel "Old" Gyabaah, Charles Oppong, Seth Ampadu, Ahmed Rockson , Papa Arko, George Kennedy, Albert Asase, Opoku Afriyie (Captain), Kofi Badu, Francis Kumi, John Abeka, Karim Zito, Joe Gyekye, Addae Kyenkyehene, Nuru Mohammed, Opoku Nti,
Head Coach: J. E. Adabie
Club President: Phill Simms (Spent his personal money on acquisition of players)
Joseph Carr, Ernest Apau, Kwasi Appiah, Seth Ampadu, Addae Kyenkyehene, Papa Arko (Captain), John Smith Bannerman, Yahya Kassum, Ebo Mends, Opoku Nti*, Isaac Afranie, Arkye Ezuah, Charles Kwame Sampson, Ahmed Rockson, Emmanuel "Joe Tex" Quaye, Francis Agyeman
- Samuel Opoku Nti was voted as Africa's Best Player of the Year by the African Sportswriters Association and 2nd Best African Player of the Year by France Football
Head Coach: Ibrahim Sunday
Team Manager: Malik Jabir
Masseur: Omono Asamoah
Club President: Ernest Yaw Bawuah
Mohammed Odoom, Nana Eshun, Kwaku Kyere, Thomas "Gambo" Hammond, Ahmed Rockson, Abdul Razak (Captain), Sam Ayippey, Sarfo Gyamfi, Prince Opoku Polley, George Arthur, Windsor Kofi Abbrey, Anthony Osei Kwadwo, Kwaku Menkah, Saarah Mensah
Head Coach: Malik Jabir
Team Manager: Victor Sirebour
Masseur: Omono Asamoah
Club President: Ofori Nuako (Paa O)
Anthony Osei Kwadwo, Frank Amankwah, Agyeman Duah, Frimpong Manso (Captain), Emmanuel Ampiah "Chairman", Alex Nyarko, George Arthur, Joseph Okyere, Mahmoud Ahmed, Raphael Akakpo "Patron", Seidu Yusif
Head Coach: Malik Jabir 2006 champions league plus former players Mohammed Alhassan, Aziz Ansah, Godfred Yeboah, Mutala Mohammed, Sam Addo, Edmond Owusu Ansah, Yussif Chipsah, George Yamoah, Nana Ahine Duah, Kwame Obeng Darko, Ahmed Toure, Douglas Nkrumah, Michael Osei, Gabriel Issah Ahmed, Charles Kwaku Asampong Barnie Bismark Taylor, Joseph Hendricks, George Owu, Louis Quainoo, Osei Boateng, Godwin Ablodey, Hamza Mohammed, Baba Adamu Amando, Prince Adu Poku, Kwadwo Poku Mahala, Kwadwo Poku Jnr, William Tierro, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour General, Daniel Yeboah Argentina, Shilla Alhassan, Shilla Illiasu, Michael Ofosu Appiah Cid, Isaac Boakye, Nii Odartey Lamptey, Louis Agyemang, Saint Eric Nii Baah, Lawrence Adjei, Nana Frimpong, Isaac Vorsah, Costance Mantey, Kwabena Dodje, Isaac Owusu Ninja, Mark Fish (Ghana), Sammy Kuffour, Joe Sam, Baffour Gyan, Coach E.K Afranie
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Youth Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Personal
Chairman
Director of Communications
Director of Finance & Administration
Director of Operations
Dirictor Of Legal Affairs
Team Manager
Head Coach
Assistant Coache's
Goalkeeper Coach
Fitness Coach
Specialist Medical Doctor
Physiotherapist
Physical Trainer
Masseur
Former Officials
Distinguished soccer leaders
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Management or Board of Directors
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Head Coaches
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Other Personnel
- Dr. Dadebo (Team Doctor)
- Omono Asamoah (Masseur)
- Franklin Acheampong
- Kofi Osei ("Osei Driver") (Chauffeur)
- Awudu Seidu (Chauffeur)
- Isaac "Opeele" Boateng (Assistant Coach)
References
- ^ "Africa's club of the Century". IFFHS official website. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14202596.stm