A former CEO of Asante Kotoko, Opoku Nti, has called for a robust structure within the club to ensure its long-term success.
In an interview with JoySports, Opoku Nti, who played for the club in the 1980s, highlighted the importance of a built-in structure that can endure leadership changes.
“I believe Kotoko needs a proper structure, a built-in structure, so whether you are General Manager, the CEO, or the board, you come and meet these structures and you follow them. Otherwise, it’s not easy,” he stated.
Opoku Nti’s call for a lasting structure has been echoed by many over the years, although some argue that the club’s ownership structure does not support such an idea.
While he did not specify whether he has proposed this idea to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, he mentioned that suggestions for improvement are shared regularly.
“Well, that one I won’t go on about [whether I have proposed such an idea to Otumfuo]. As for suggestions, we are still making them. You see, I believe when you are doing something and it’s not working, you need to change your approach,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure, Nti, who was replaced by Dr. Kwame Kyei in late 2016, described the transition as chaotic and expressed his desire to end the trend of internal conflicts.
“For this reason, when my duty ended with Kotoko, I made sure that none of my management members or even the supporters who like me personally would go on air and fight the incoming management because that has been the problem of Kotoko,” he added.
During his time as CEO, Nti worked with head coach Didi Dramani for two seasons, achieving success in the Ghana League and the FA Cup. He emphasised the importance of stability in the technical team, noting that he resisted calls to sack Dramani upon taking over.
“Immediately I took over, they wanted to sack the coach, but I said no, we need to maintain the coach because he has taken them through training for a while and he knows the boys. So it went well right from the beginning because we had stable management, and the technical side wasn’t a problem,” he explained.
ID/ ADG