The CEO of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah, has made a revelation that the management of the club had opposed the decision to terminate the contract of former Head Coach, Seydou Zerbo. According to Amponsah, the club’s management had initially seen Zerbo’s performance positively, but mounting pressure from fans and threats from specific Board members had left them with no choice but to let him go.
The decision to terminate Zerbo’s contract followed a 2-0 loss suffered by the team in a home game against Medeama SC. Although Kotoko still had a chance in the league, fans’ increasing displeasure with the team’s performance, especially under Zerbo’s tutelage, made his termination inevitable. Amponsah stated that he had to intervene to prevent an attack on Zerbo during a match against Hearts of Oak in Accra.
The Kotoko CEO revealed that the Board had given an ultimatum, demanding either the coach goes or the CEO goes. Despite being aware of Zerbo’s capabilities, the club received intelligence that some individuals had planned to attack him at the training ground, which could harm the club’s image. Therefore, Kotoko decided to terminate Zerbo’s contract to spare themselves the trouble of a possible attack on the coach.
Zerbo was appointed as head coach in August 2022 as the replacement for Prosper Narteh Ogum, who resigned from his position prior to the start of the 2022/23 season. During his time as head coach, Zerbo won 9 league matches, drew 7, and lost 6, accumulating 34 points for Kotoko. However, Kotoko was eliminated from the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League by RC Kadiogo, and they also crashed out of the MTN FA Cup at the hands of Aduana Stars at the Last 16 stage.
For the most part, Kotoko’s management was unhappy with Zerbo’s termination, and the decision was made to protect the coach and the club’s image from possible attacks by some disgruntled individuals. Despite this, the club will now need to find a new head coach to take them forward as they look to improve their performances in future competitions.