Kotoko aggrieved supporters threaten three

Kumasi, Aug 17, GNA - Some aggrieved supporters of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club have resolved to take legal action against Aduana Stars Football Club, Mr Kingsley Osei-Bonsu, also known as Zico, former Chief Executive Officer of the club and Kofi Abanga, former player of the club.

They are demanding compensation for the inconvenience caused them due to the unprofessional conduct of the three parties resulting in the Abanga transfer saga.

Addressing a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, Mr Edmund Ackah, leader of the aggrieved supporters, said their decision was against the backdrop of what they perceived to be calculated attempts by some players to defraud Kotoko under the guise of playing for the club. Mr Ackah said "We have decided to test the laws of the land by pursuing this Abanga case to its logical conclusion so that it will serve as a deterrent to other Ghanaian players who intend taking Kotoko supporters for granted", they said.

He said it was regrettable that a catalogue of players such as Charles Taylor, Bernard Don-Bortey, George Eranio, Dan Quaye, Francis Bossman, Anthony Annan, Moses Andoh, Alex Asamoah and Taufiq Alolo among others had on various occasions descended on the camp of Kotoko with the intention of playing for the club only to 'vanish into thin air' after succeeding to outwit the officials.

This development, Mr Ackah said, had in times past caused so much inconvenience and unease to the supporters of the with some of them become virtually apathetic towards the club's cause. Mr Ackah said that this time round the aggrieved supporters are no longer taking things cool and have furnished their lawyers with all documentations on the Abanga issue for further action, saying, "We expect to serve the parties involved with the necessary writ of summons at the appropriate time".

He said investigations conducted by the supporters indicated that Abanga had signed a contract with Kotoko and allegedly took several millions of cedis committing himself to the Club in the presence of some witnesses.

The investigations, he said, also established that the player was not forced to sign the contract as he is claiming but did so at his own free will and with the knowledge of officials of Aduana Stars. "It therefore comes as a shock to us that the same player who declared his intentions to don the red jerseys of the 'Porcupine Warriors' had switched camp to Accra Hearts of Oak to sign another contract with them", Mr Ackah noted.

The supporters said they would collaborate with the management of Kotoko to also seek FIFA's intervention in the case so as to mete out the necessary sanctions against Kofi Abanga.

"We believe that the player by committing himself to two contractual agreements had contravened FIFA's rules and regulations and deserves to be punished as such since he did not conduct himself with due diligence", Mr Ackah added. 17 Aug. 07