Kotoko, L-Sports In Sponsorship Talks

Kit manufacturer, L-Sporto has confirmed that it has held preliminary talks with Kumasi Asante Kotoko towards a possible kit sponsorship deal. Local representative Kofi Poku told the Soccer Express that he had held talks with Interim Management Committee Chairman (IMC), Sylvester Asare Owusu and head coach, Abdul Karim Razak but stated that nothing concrete had been concluded.

"I am waiting for the team to return from Cameroun so we can sit down and iron out the thorny issues," Poku disclosed.

The L-Sporto rep mentioned however that Kotoko officials were uncomfortable with the fact that L-Sporto was also sponsors of archrivals, Accra Hearts of Oak, even though he believed that should not affect the negotiations in any way. Kotoko have taken the issue of kit sponsorship very seriously since Uhlsport kit sponsorship first initiated by former Kotoko coach Ernst Middendorp fizzled out with the departure of former Chief Executive, Herbert Mensah.

Kotoko officials have been in contact with Middendorp to facilitate another kit deal but nothing concrete has come out of that. Soccer Express is also reliably informed that major sponsors, Spacefon were also consulted to see if they had any international links as far as kit sponsorship is concerned.

Meanwhile L-Sporto says it is waiting on the Ghana Football Association to revert on a letter informing the Association of the arrival of the first consignment of kit for the national teams.

Local Rep Kofi Poku told the Soccer Express that even though he had notified the FA of the arrival of the kit, the FA had not responded ostensibly because the Chairman, Ben Koufie was out of town.

Poku lamented the bureaucratic manner simple issues are handled at the FA and could not confirm when the kit would be handed over as he was expecting the FA to inform his outfit of a public event during which the kit would be formally handed over.

The two organisations have been at each other's throats since a sponsorship deal was signed last September. While the FA has accused the kit sponsor of not delivering, L-Sporto have been adamant that the Association has been a bad partner which has failed to offer any assistance since the deal was signed and reneging on the use of the L-Sporto insignia at FA functions.