Veteran Ghanaian journalist and staunch Asante Kotoko supporter, Osei Owusu Bempah, has raised serious concerns over the quality of players at the Kumasi-based club, claiming the Porcupine Warriors currently lack “Category A” talent capable of starting for any of Ghana’s national teams.
Bempah attributes the decline to poor management and inadequate investment, which he says has hindered Kotoko’s ability to recruit and develop top-tier players. The club, he argues, has struggled not only domestically but also on the African stage, despite its historic status as Ghana’s most successful club and former IFFHS Club of the Century.
Speaking in an interview with LUV FM, Bempah lamented the lack of Kotoko players in the national team setups.
“Kotoko doesn’t have Category A players who can start in any of Ghana’s national teams,” he said. “Back in 1982, during the African Cup of Nations semifinal against Algeria, eight Kotoko players were involved, including substitutes. Today, I can’t even remember the last time a Kotoko player started for the Black Stars. We’re struggling to get players into even the local Black Stars, let alone the senior national team or youth sides. It’s quite sad.”
Bempah stressed that the club’s challenges start at the top, emphasizing the need for proper ownership, investment, and a structured management system.
“Teams like ASEC, Zamalek, and Al Ahly succeed because they have strong management structures; they don’t recruit coaches or players haphazardly. Kotoko must also get its house in order if it wants results,” he noted.
Asante Kotoko recently parted ways with head coach Abdul Karim Zito and currently sits fifth in the Ghana Premier League standings with 35 points after 22 matches, highlighting the need for urgent reforms both on and off the pitch.
