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Management starts investigating bribery allegations
The drawn game and the lose against Sekondi Hasaacas and Accra Great Olympics by fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko have come in its wake the levelling of allegations of match fixing and bribery.
Whilst the playing body and members of the technical team insist they drew and lost the matches fair and square, majority of Kotoko supporters are insistent that they suspect and believe that there were underhand dealings in Kotoko matches in recent times hence the poor showing of the club in the last four away matches played.
This believe has assumed a dangerous dimension with fans staying away from matches fir the fear that Kotoko might “throw” the matches to their opponents, who incidentally are all relegation threatened clubs.
At the meeting between management and the up-field staff, this issue was raised and discussed with all the sides of the issue making some noteworthy points for consideration.
On the part of management, the issue was discounted as one of the wild lies that people are fond of peddling in the club and so discounted them, but according to the director of finance and administration, George Amoako, events afterwards are making some of them reconsider some of their earlier stands.
“We in management have been amazed at the litany of evidences being forwarded from all over from supporters who believe the pieces of information will be of interest and assistance to the course of an investigation”.
“Since we cannot just brush aside the information as they come in, we have started investigations into the allegations and rumours,” he announced.
“As a forewarning, we just hope that they are not true, but if they turn out to be, management can assure you that the culprit would be severely punished to once and for all uproot the canker from our system”.
Reacting to the allegations, the stand-in-coach and his physicals instructor, Johnson Smith and Alhaji Awudu Nuhu, were of the belief that it was normal for every football club to experience decline in stamina after playing several matches during pre-season and the main season.
“What I have decided to do is to balance a training regimen that will make room for recovery after every match or exercise. I hope that we will be able to sail through the rest of matches successfully,” was Awudu’s assurance to management.
Coach Smith also assured management that he was hopeful of the team’s ability to overcome the setbacks and win the remaining matches to appease the fans who are getting worried.
As a measure to curb the recurrence of the events that seem to give credence to the stories of bribery allegations, Jerry Asare announced some immediate measures that have been taken.
Per the measures, the use of mobile phones during camping by the team has been abolished. To enable players communicate with the families during that period, he says they shall soon come out with mechanisms and ways to address that.
“Until that was done, the use of mobile phones in camp remains banned and there will be high punitive measures to check that".
“One other thing that has also been banned during camping periods is the receipt of visitors to the camp. We should not forget that the word means to stay away from public to be able to concentrate and so we shall not allow any visitor into the camps be they away or home matches”.
In another development, management has announced that a comprehensive medical package is being rolled out to the players to ensure that the players received the best medical attention available in the country should they require one.
In line with that, management has announced that talks have been concluded with a team of notable medical doctors in Kumasi to serve as the medical backbone of the club.
“For the first time in many years, a medical doctor will be on the Kotoko contingent that will be travelling to Libya for the first leg match against Al Ittihad. This will continue and will probably be carried on into the league in the coming season,” Chairman Asare Owusu announced at the meeting.
To smoothen the work of the medical doctors who shall be working on the players, team physiotherapist, Omono Asamoah, has been tasked to prepare a comprehensive medical dossier on each of the Kotoko players.
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