Asante Kotoko S.C.

Full name Asante Kotoko Sporting Club
(Ashanti Twi: Kum Apem a, Apem Beba; English: Kill a thousand, and a thousand more will come)
Nickname(s) Porcupines
Porcupine Warriors
The Great Porcupines of Africa Fantabulous/FABULOUS
Founded 31 August 1935
Ground Kumasi Sports Stadium
Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana
Ground Capacity 40,528
Owner Nana Osei Tutu II
Chairman Dr Kwame kyei
Manager Steven Polack[1]
League Ghana Premier League
2016 5th
Website Club website

Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, also known as Asante Kotoko or Ashanti Kotoko, is a professional football club from Kumasi, Ashanti. Based at Kumasi Sports Stadium they are competing in the Ghanian Premier League. They have been champions of the Ghana Premier League a record 24 times, and have won the CAF Champions League twice.

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics ranked Asante Kotoko the African club of the 20th century.[2]

History

Asantehene King Prempeh II, is the first life patron of Asante Kotoko greeting Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Harold Macmillan, January 1960

The foundation of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club was laid by 13 young Ashanti men led by a young driver, Mr. Kwasi Kumah, ably supported by L.Y.Asamoah an electrician.[3][4] Mr. Kwasi Kumah, a native of Nyankyerenease near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, was a chauffeur to an English man and military officer, a Colonel Ross.[3][4] Kwasi Kumah nurtured the idea of forming a football team when he watched an exciting football match.[3][4] When Colonel Ross returned home for good, Kumah bought a set of jerseys to start his football team.[3][4] With co-operation from his good friend, L.Y.Asamoah, he formed the Ashanti United Football Club in 1926.[3][4] Five years later the team was renamed Kumasi Titanics.[3][4] 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.[3][4] "Kumasi Titanics" did not find enough luck in their new name and in 1934 they adopted a more powerful name, Mighty Atoms.[3][4] 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 men from his school and proposed a change of name from "Kumasi Titanics" to Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club.[3][4] Permission had to be obtained from the Asantehene (King of the Kingdom of Ashanti) because the name "Kotoko", meaning "Porcupine" is the official symbol of the Ashanti nation.[3] The Asantehene, Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, became the first life patron of the club.[3] Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club was subsequently formally founded in 1935.[3][4]

Asante Kotoko's emblem features the "Porcupine", displaying an inbuilt arsenal of sharp spikes for use when attacked by an enemy.[4]

In July 2011, Asante Kotoko and English Premier League club Sunderland signed a partnership agreement, which will see Sunderland offering practical support and advice in youth coaching, player development, fitness and medical matters as well as football business strategy to Asante Kotoko.[5]

Colours

The colours of Asante Kotoko depict the colours on both the national flag (ethnic flag) and national emblem of Ashanti with the colours of red, yellow and green used on the Asante Kotoko first (home) kit shirts and shorts while the colours white and red are used on the Asante Kotoko second alternative kit shirts and shorts; and in 2011, Asante Kotoko re-introduced third alternative kit of black, yellow and green colours worn in the late 1980s.[6]

Kits evolution

1st Colours
2nd Colours
2nd Alt.
3rd Colours

Emblem

The Porcupine on the National Emblem of the Kingdom of Ashanti; The "Porcupine Warriors" is the Asante Kotoko nickname.

Asante Kotoko's emblem is symbolizes the national emblem of the Kingdom of Ashanti (Kingdom of Asante) and Ashanti with the colours black, green and yellow enclosing the colours on the national flag and ethnic flag of the Kingdom of Asante and Asante Kotoko's emblem [also represents the national emblem of the Ashanti people and the Ashanti nation (who are more like the Catalan people and Catalonia)]; the Asante Kotoko emblem features a remarkably threatening looking porcupine and the motto "Ashanti Twi: Kum apem a, apem beba", which means "Kill a thousand, and a thousand more will come".[4]

Ground

Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC home ground Kumasi Sports Stadium

Asante Kotoko's home stadium is the Kumasi Sports Stadium located in the capital city of Ashanti, Kumasi. Champions Asante Kotoko are to get a multi-purpose stadium called the Rlg Fabulous Arena based on a three-year endorsement contract with Rlg Communications.[7] Rlg, became Asante Kotoko’s eleventh endorser since Asante Kotoko's executive board chairman Dr K.K Sarpong took office in the middle of 2010.[7] The Asante Kotoko executive board committee reached a perfect agreement with endorser Rlg Communications to build a mega new stadium for Asante Kotoko in a yet-to-be determined location within the capital city of the Ashanti nation, Kumasi.[7] The Asante Kotoko stadium project which by the end of its construction will be named the Rlg Fabulous Arena will likely begin to take course in the final year of the Asante Kotoko and Rlg Communications contract.[7]

Support

Asante Kotoko is the 6th biggest football team and professional club in Continental Africa and arguably the biggest club in Ghana; Asante Kotoko has a speculated ten million (12,000,000) followers and in the year 2011, Asante Kotoko and Sunderland AFC respective club executive Chairmen's engaged in strategic and positive discussions on both clubs collaborating.[8] The Asante Kotoko strategical partnership sees Sunderland of the Premier League sharing its coaching and business expertise with Asante Kotoko, offering practical support and advice in youth coaching, player development, fitness and medical matters and football business strategy.[8] Kotoko in turn works closely with Sunderland AFC to help the Premier League club build and grow its brand in the emerging African territory and geographic Africa.[8]

Ownership and financing

Asante Kotoko Endorsements
Start End Name
2010 Present Millicom
2010 Present MTN Group
2010 Present Fidelity Bank
2010 Present Everpure
2010 Present Iei
2010 Present Smart TV
2010 Present Interplast
2010 Present SportsPro Media, Ltd
2012 Present Vit's Noodles, Ltd
2013 Present Symbion Power
2013 Present Peppis Pizza, Ltd
2013 Present Rlg Communications

Asante Kotoko Kit Manufacturers
Start End Name
2001 2008 Jako
2008 2011 Lotto
2011 2012 Erreà
2012 2014 Puma SE
2014 Present Singapore Kubba[9]

Club financing and club endorsements

The owner and life patron of Asante Kotoko SC is the Asantehene, King of the Ashanti Region of Ghana, Osei Tutu II.[10] The US$150 million per annum (per season) Asante Kotoko squad players salary wage bill for 2015 and further additional US$105 million per annum (per season) squad players transfer wage bill for 2015 is financed from the large and industrial mineral rich economy of Ashanti with Ashanti being the 2nd largest producer of theobroma cacao and cocoa in the world as most of the world's cocoa is grown in Ashanti.[11]

Ashanti is a top-10 producer of gold bars and gold bullions in the world as Ashanti is also a major site of the world's gold-mining industry with Ashanti being home to the world's 10th largest producing gold mine on Earth; The Obuasi Gold Mine.[12] The 1 ton of Gold bars and Gold (Bullion) is worth $64.3 Million dollars (US$64,300,000) at $2000/oz.[13]

Asante Kotoko's diverse endorsements portfolio includes technology corporations Interplast, Smart TV, Iei and giant Rlg Communications; financial institution Fidelity Bank; water company Everpure limited, Peppis Pizza limited, and Vit's Noodles limited; telecommunication companies Millicom and MTN Group; mass media company SportsPro Media limited; worldwide major electricity generation and electricity construction incorporation Symbion Power; and Singaporean kit manufacturer Kubba.[9]

Training facility

Asante Kotoko Adako-Jachie Training Complex

Ashanti's Kumasi Asante Kotoko Squad Coach (Bus).

Asante Kotoko training ground and training facilities headquarters, are located in the capital city of the Ashanti nation, Kumasi.[14] There is ongoing construction of the "Asante Kotoko Adako-Jachie Training Complex" which when completed in 2015 will consist of three training pitches, one artificial grass pitch, multi-functional sports hall, Olympic-size swimming pool and a 20-bedroom camping facility for Asante Kotoko at Adako Jachie suburb situated on the outskirts of Kumasi.[14] The "Asante Kotoko Adako-Jachie Training Complex"; three training pitches and the 20 bedroom facility will come with a large multi-operational health club and gym, weights for strength training and physical fitness area, a massage unit, dressing rooms, the technical staff's and coaches' office, as well as a conference room with screening facilities and offices for the Asante Kotoko Chief operating officers (Operations Director) and the technical bench.[14] Whereas one of the training pitches will go to the Asante Kotoko reserve and youth squad; the remaining two other training pitches will be used by the Asante Kotoko professional senior squad.[14] The Asante Kotoko executive board committee revealed that 10 percent of contributions to the Asante Kotoko development project fund would be used to fund the "Asante Kotoko Adako-Jachie Training Complex" and mega training facility.[14] The Asante Kotoko executive board intimated that the Asante Kotoko Owner and Life Patron of Asante Kotoko, Asantehene King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II of the Ashanti nation is to provide both financial and moral support to the "Asante Kotoko Adako-Jachie Training Complex" and mega training facility construction project.[14] The Asante Kotoko squad players are driven from the Asante Kotoko stadium on the Asante Kotoko squad coach (bus) manufactured by Tata Motors of conglomerate Tata Group to the training headquarters of Asante Kotoko.[15]

Situated at the headquarters of Asante Kotoko is also the Youth academy of Asante Kotoko, in which system and program focuses on the Asante Kotoko youth squad players development as footballers. Former products of the Asante Kotoko Youth academy development program and system include Karim Abdul Razak, Tony Yeboah, Isaac Vorsah, Samuel Inkoom, Godwin Antwi, and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu.[16]

Honours

National Titles

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, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (Record Holder).
1958, 1959, 1960, 1978, 1984, 1997–98, 2001, 2014 (2nd Most Successful Club).
2012, 2013, 2014 (Most Successful Club).

Other GFA National Titles

1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008 (Record Holder).
1999–00, 2001, 2005 (Record Holder).
2003, 2007 (Record Holder).
2004, 2005, 2008 (Record Holder).

International Titles

Champion – 1970, 1983,
Runners-up – 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, 1993
Runners-up – 2002
Runners-up – 2004

Performance in CAF competitions

2004 – Third Round
2005 – First Round
2006 – Group Stage

2007 – Preliminary Round
2009 – First Round
2010 – Preliminary Round

2013 – First Round
2014 – Preliminary Round
2015 – Qualified

1966: Quarter-finals
1967: Finalist
1969: Semi-finals
1970: Champion
1971: Finalist
1973: Finalist

1976: Quarter-finals
1981: Second Round
1982: Finalist
1983: Champion
1984: First Round
1987: Semi-finals

1988: First Round
1990: Semi-final
1992: Quarter-finals
1993: Finalist

2004 Finalist
2008 Group Stage
1995 – Quarter-finals
1997 – Second Round

1979 – First Round
1985 – Quarter-Finals
1991 – First Round

1999 – Second Round
2002 Finalist

2003 – Quarter-Finals
2005 – First Round

Continental Clubs of the 20th Century
Region Team
Africa Ghana Asante Kotoko
Asia Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
South America Uruguay Peñarol
Central and North America Costa Rica Saprissa
Oceania Australia South Melbourne
Europe Spain Real Madrid
CAF Clubs Rankings: Current 21st Century Top 6 – CAF overall ranking of African Clubs
CAF Football Team Points
1 Egypt Al-Ahly 91
2 Tunisia Espérance 58
3 Tunisia Étoile du Sahel 54
4 Egypt Zamalek 50
5 Democratic Republic of the Congo TP Mazembe 49
6 Ghana Asante Kotoko 44

Players

Current squad

As of 3 june 2017[17] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Ghana GK Isaac Amoako
2 Ghana MF Issac Quansah
3 Ghana MF Edwin Tuffour Frimpong
4 Ghana MF Stephen Oduro RETIRED.
6 Ghana DF Osei Agyemang
7 Ghana FW Obed Owusu
8 Ghana MF Kwame Boahene
9 Ghana FW Yakubu Mohammed
10 Ghana MF Baba Mahama
11 Ghana DF Eric Donkor
12 Ghana GK Felix Annan
13 Ghana GK Ernest Sowah
14 Ghana DF Ahmed Adams
16 Ghana GK Ibraham Danlad
17 Ghana FW Abass Mohammed
18 Ghana MF Jackson Owusu
19 Ghana DF Atta KUSI
20 Ghana DF Amos Frimpong
21 Ghana MF Seth Opare
23 Ghana DF Awudu Nafiu
25 Ghana MF Ollenu Ashitey
27 Ghana MF Prince Acquah
28 Ghana MF Sarfo Gyamfi
29 Ghana MF Emmanuel Gyamfi
30 Ghana DF Ohene Brenya
49 Ghana DF Awal Mohammed
99 Ghana FW Saddrick Adams

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
5 Ghana DF Abeiku Ainnosson (ASHGOLD)
(at)
No. Position Player
(at)

Reserve squad & youth squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
27 Ghana kojo kankam
12 Ghana GK Felix Annan
18 Ghana GK George Arthur
19 Ghana DF Kofi Agyare
28 Ghana MF Richard Yeboah
29 Ghana FW Michael Mensah
32 Ghana GK Mutawakriu Mohamed
46 Ghana DF Emmanuel Appiah
47 Ghana DF Nafiu Dramani
48 Ghana DF Razik Mohamed
49 Ghana DF Yaw Acheampong
50 Ghana DF Stephen Asamoah
No. Position Player
51 Ghana DF Kingsley Nteng
52 Ghana MF Daniel Boateng
53 Ghana MF Augustine Okrah
55 Ghana MF Omar Toufic
56 Ghana MF Lukeman Kasim
57 Ghana MF Agbowaze Kwinsi
58 Ghana MF Alhassan Saddick
59 Ivory Coast FW Mohammed Toure
60 Ghana FW Alhassan Bukari
61 Ghana FW Francis Dadzie
62 Ghana FW Musah Issah

Former footballers

For details on former Asante Kotoko SC footballers see Category:Asante Kotoko SC players.

Personnel

Current officials and technical staff

Position Staff
President and Owner King Asantehene Osei Tutu II
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman Ashanti Empire Ghana Dr kwame kyei
Director of Communications Ghana Sir Obed Acheampong
Director of Finance & Administration Ghana Charles Kwabena Poku
Director of Operations GhanaMr Ernest Owusu Ansah
Director of Legal Affairs Ghana Yaw Boafo
Team manager Ghana Godwin Ablordey
Assistant coach Ghana
Goalkeepers' coach Joe Baah and Sampson Appiah
Fitness coach Ghana
Specialist Medical Doctor Ghana Dr.Leat
Physical Trainer GhanaIssac Ayeba
Masseur Ghana Richard Hammond

Last updated: January 2014
Source: Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club official website

Head Coaches

References

Notes

  1. Kotoko Coach Zdravko Logarusic to instill discipline in players ahead of new season‚ ghanasportsonline.com, 25 January 2017
  2. "Africa's club of the Century". IFFHS official website. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "History Asante Kotoko". fifa.com. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Classic club: The great Porcupines of Africa — FIFA.com". fifa.com. FIFA. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. "Kotoko seal Sunderland partnership agreement". BBC News. BBC Sports. 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  6. "New kits sponsorship deal in the offing". asantekotokofc.org. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Kotoko to get Fabulous Arena in mega rlg deal". newsbcc.com. 18 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 "SAFC partnership with Ghana giants". safc.com. Sunderland AFC. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Singaporean-based sportswear company Kubba proposes sponsorship package to Kotoko". africatopsports.com. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  10. "Asantehene urges Kotoko to hold congress". allsports.com.gh. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  11. "Introduction – Ashanti Region". ghana.gov.gh. Government of Ghana. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  12. "World's top 10 gold deposits". mining.com. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  13. "Gold – Visualized in Bullion Bars". demonocracy.info. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Asante Kotoko project to take off". modernghana.com. 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  15. "Players barred from driving to training grounds". asantekotokofc.org. 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  16. "Asante Kotoko will be unbeatable in Africa soon". goal.com. Goal.com. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  17. "Revealed: Asante Kotoko releases squad numbers for season 2016/2017". rokfmonline.com. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
Achievements
Preceded by
Ismaily SC
Egypt
Champions of Africa
1970–71
Succeeded by
Canon Yaoundé
Cameroon
Preceded by
Al Ahly SC
Egypt
Champions of Africa
1983–84
Succeeded by
Zamalek SC
Egypt
Preceded by
Kaizer Chiefs
South Africa
African Cup Winners' Cup
Runner up: Asante Kotoko
Ghana
Winner: Wydad Casablanca
Morocco

2002–03
Succeeded by
Étoile Sportive du Sahel
Tunisia
Preceded by
CAF Confederation Cup
Runner up: Asante Kotoko
Ghana
Winner: Hearts of Oak
Ghana

2004–05
Succeeded by
FAR Rabat
Morocco
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