Kumasi Asante Kotoko coach Steve Polack has dedicated the club’s FA Cup triumph to the late Kofi Asare who died in the car crush that wrecked their season.

Asare, the club’s equipment officer, was the one fatality from the accident in May as Kotoko returned to Kumasi after a league game. Polack, who clinched his first title as coach, says they owed the victory to the deceased officer.

He said: “It is my first cup final as a head coach so this would always be close to my heart because you always remember your first. It has been a difficult season but we dedicate this to our friend Asare. This is for you Asare.” Polack also paid tribute to hat trick hero Saddick Adams. “I don’t think he has been himself but [on Sunday] he was,” the Englishman said.

“He is a better player when he does that and it worked. The whole team worked really hard.” Kotoko have earned a place in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup final by virtue of the win.