Circle Leaders Support     Disciplinary Action

Correspondent: Jerome Otchere  Accra

22nd February 2008

Last Tuesday’s publication that Kotoko’s Disciplinary Committee has taken disciplinary measures against two players not surprisingly generated interesting reactions from Kotoko fans and indeed readers of the Kotoko Express. Whereas some followers asked for leniency for the two players, many others including Ashanti and Greater Accra Regional Circles Chairmen Kwadwo Nyantakyi and Ebenezer Nunoofio respectively applauded the disciplinary committee for the swift and decisive manner it chose to handle that potentially destructive development in camp. 

Two players namely Kwadwo Poku and Komla Dodzie were recently handed varying punishments including a two-month ban without salary to Kwadwo Poku and a 50 Ghana cedi fine to Komla Dodzie. The disciplinary committee came out with those punishments shortly after it found the two players guilty of unprofessional conduct.

The facts of the case are that on Thursday February 7, 2008, Kwadwo Poku hit and slapped midfielder Komla Dodzie three times in the face during training. Kwadwo Poku’s unsporting attitude was in retaliation to a brutal tackle visited on him by Komla Dodzie. The incident was consequently reported to the disciplinary committee, which wasted no time to react.

Commenting on the disciplinary actions taken against the players, Kwadwo Nyantakyi and Ebenezer Nunoofio said issues that bordered on discipline could not be taken lightly. They agreed that at the time that management had vowed to win the league title and also achieve the best on the continent, the best the players could do was to complement management efforts by putting up the best behaviour in camp besides performing to expectation on the field of play.

They also contended that indiscipline could easily undermine management’s efforts and therefore appealed to the playing body to eschew acts that contravened the rules and regulations of the club. “I am all for discipline. Discipline is to reform much the same as punishments are to deter would-be offenders. Discipline is therefore important everywhere” said Nunoofio.

“Under no circumstance should a Kotoko player behave anyhow. As a football club we must insist on discipline. Nobody should take the club for granted” Kwadwo Nyantakyi added. Monitoring the reaction of the fans to the disciplinary committee’s recent decisions, the Kotoko Express learnt that there were a couple of fans who felt that Kwadwo Poku’s two-month suspension without salary was for instance to harsh.

Kwadwo Nyantakyi and Ebenezer Nunoofio shared almost the same views when they were asked whether the punishment meted out to Kwadwo Poku especially was inconsiderate. “No player thinks that in this era of professionalism he can do what he wants. But if a player, under punishment shows remorse, leniency or pardon could be considered” argued Ebenezer Nunoofio who added that care should be exercise in such circumstance.

“Pardon is okay but not when one of the punished players feels that his punishment should have been equal to that of the other culprit. I heard Kwadwo Poku on radio saying that he does not understand why Dodzi’s punishment differed from his. With that, I wonder if one can ask for leniency in this case,” quipped Kwadwo Nyantakyi.