Asante Kotoko participated in two CAF competitions this season – the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup but the club failed to win a game in four outings but the most outstanding player of the side is clearly on the move to strengthen another African team.
Kwame Opoku – who has scored 7 goals this season which happens to be his debut for both club and the competition called the Ghana Premier League – is the subject of a speculated transfer involving Algerian side USM Alger who are willing to dole out not less than $500 000 according to reports.
When the new board of directors of the club was formed, it was mandated by Otumfour Osei Tutu II to re-establish the Porcupine Warriors as one of Africa’s best football teams. The best teams in Africa are the the ones that win the Champions League, the Confederation Cup and those that compete at deeper ends of these continental competitions.
In four games this season in Africa, Kotoko won zero games. Two defeats versus Al-Hilal and ES Setif and two drawn games were recorded against Nouadhibou and Setif. This record does to consider the walkovers the club won and suffered against FC Nouadhibou and Al-Hilal in the Champions League preliminary round respectively as those games were not played.
When one considers this fact, it becomes difficult to comprehend why one of the best players of the side is on the brink of leaving instead of the club to maintain their best assets for the few seasons ahead if indeed they want to make name again in Africa.
Can Kotoko keep Opoku?
That is if they could match the reported offer from USM Algers which does not seem likely. The striker and his camp would surely push for the deal to go through considering the amount of money involved but the ball is in the court of Asante Kotoko. Opoku signed three-year deal and he is half way into his first year and so the club has the biggest power in this circumstance but it does not appear they would be in a position to reject this lucrative offer on their table.
Whatever the case may be the departure of the striker would definitely create a big void in the team which means they would have to properly replace.
