Kotoko’s struggles a test of patience for the favoured Ogum

By
Frank Appiah
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Kotoko coach, Prosper Narteh Ogum
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These are incredibly hard times for Kumasi Asante Kotoko. They can’t buy a win in the Ghana Premier League and are slipping down the league table. One point out of a possible 18 usually gets the sack at Kotoko and it has inevitably triggered a debate about the future of Prosper Ogum.

Ogum’s previous stint at Kotoko was hugely successful. And yet, despite that, there are those wondering why he still remains in charge of the team in the face of the poor form.

To understand why his support base remains so strong, you need to look at what he achieved in his first stint. During that tenure, he broke an eight-year drought in the Ghana Premier League with their first title in the 2021/2022 season

And there were some landmark performances en route to league triumph. For instance, Ogum ended Kotoko’s 13-year winless streak against Aduana FC at the Nana Agyemang Badu Park with a convincing 2-0 victory.

During this period, Ogum also strategically utilised foreign talents Franck Etouga Mbella and Georges Mfuege, both Cameroonians, as the primary goal-scoring assets. Their contributions played a pivotal role in bolstering Kotoko’s offensive capabilities during a challenging campaign that tested the team in various aspects. In doing that, he dispelled the sense that foreign talents didn’t thrive at the club.

When he eventually left the club, it was more due to disagreements with the Nana Yaw Amponsah-led management rather than an issue of competence.

So it came as little surprise when his return to the club was heralded by the passionate Porcupine Warriors fans. Jerome Otchere, a former Kotoko Express Editor says the the euphoria was understandable.

“He was the best option at the time. Secondly, he was called back to continue his unfinished business but I didn’t believe he’ll have it easy. The conditions under which he performed in his first stint were largely going to be absent. It’s showing now.”

This year, Kotoko has had a dismal run. They lost four consecutive league games, marking their worst record in 14 years. The club plummeted from 3rd to 9th on the Ghana Premier League table and the pressure on Ogum increased.

So intense was it that Kotoko felt the need to issue a statement re-assuring him of his future.

“The IMC acknowledges the concerns raised by our cherished supporters regarding our current situation. It must be placed on record that management is equally not enthused with our results and deems it unacceptable. However, the IMC is committed to ensuring that there is a quick turnaround in our current fortunes.” parts of the statement read.

“In our quest to achieve this, various steps have been taken, including an emergency meeting with the coaching staff and not the dismissal of the head coach.

Fast forward weeks after, Asante Kotoko’s plight has deepened further. They have lost three straight times at home following the loss to Nsoatreman and have dropped to 10th place in the league standings.

Kotoko’s position as 10th on the table is not the only disappointing outcome for their fans.

They have won only once in the second round of the competition after eight games. They have lost seven in their last nine games across all competitions. They have been booted out of the FA Cup after losing to Karela United in the round of 16.

 

 

It is worth noting that Seydou Zerbo was sacked last season for experiencing his first home defeat. Meanwhile, Kotoko have emerged as the worst-performing home team throughout the season, accumulating only 18 points from 12 home games, with five wins, three draws, and four losses.

Interestingly, during the same period last season, after matchday 25, Kotoko had achieved a 4-0 victory against Real Tamale United (RTU) and ascended to fourth place in the league table. This was after Zerbo was dismissed, and youth team coach Abdul Gazale had taken over as interim boss until the end of the season.

Despite the current form, Ogum continues to receive the backing of club legends and former players.

Maxwell Konadu, former coach of the club, has been involved in exacerbating Kotoko’s troubles this season as his current team, Nsoatreman, handed Kotoko its latest defeat at the Baba Yara Stadium on Thursday night, adding to the Porcupines’ recent setbacks.

Despite his team’s success against Kotoko, Konadu believes that the coach is not solely responsible for the team’s struggles.

“I don’t believe it is a coaching issue; when the players play, it is clear that they are afraid,” Konadu told Akoma Sports “The demands placed on the players appear to put them under additional strain; they lack the character required to play as a Kotoko player, which I believe is their issue.”

Charles Kwablah (CK) Akonnor, an ex-coach of Kotoko, advocated for patience, citing examples of successful managerial tenures in other clubs.

“We’ve witnessed how patience can yield remarkable results,” Akonnor told Akoma Sports. Arsenal’s faith in Arteta and Liverpool’s backing of Klopp exemplify the value of time and patience. Perhaps Ogum requires more time to implement his vision and steer Kotoko to success.”

However, not all voices have been supportive of Ogum’s continued leadership. Club legend Wilberforce Mfum questioned the IMC’s decision to retain Ogum despite the team’s poor performances. Mfum expressed concerns over the club’s reputation and the quality of players recruited under Ogum’s management.

Mfum remarked, “That is not right. If I held any capacity in the team, I wouldn’t have agreed to this decision of the IMC. How can you lose five matches and still be at the helm of Kotoko?”

Ogum needs to turn things around and quickly too. Kotoko have three huge games coming up that would test them to the core against Dreams FC who are in the relegation zone but are through to the semifinals of the CAF Confederation Cup. They face Samartex who lead the league next before a meeting with Medeama FC, the defending champions.

Jerome Otchere reckons if results don’t go well, the pressure of fans may force his biggest backers Manhyia to buckle.

“As long as the powers that be want him to be there Ogum will stay but supporters’ pressure may eventually see him out. I doubt however if the mere dismissal of Ogum answers Kotoko’s chronic systemic problems. Ogum’s struggling but the thing is beyond him.”