"I'm happy with Kotoko task" - Zumdick

Just before, Ralf Zumdick left Germany to take up his new appointment as coach of Asante Kotoko on Friday morning, he told German media briefly before take-off for Accra that he is delighted to be in a completely different world. “The Cat” as he is affectionately called had his first training session with the Kotoko team in Accra at 09:30 GMT.

This comes 19 months after his disengagement from VfL Bochum. He took over Bochum from former Asante Kotoko coach, Ernst Middendorp, who together with Bayern Leverkusen manager, Klaus Toppmoller recommended him for the Kotoko job.

Asante Kotoko are four points adrift of defending champions, Hearts of Oak, on the league table, Zumdick believes that the porcupine warriors stand a chance of making it past Hearts.

He told JOYonline this morning at the Legon soccer pitch where the team trained that despite his short coaching career, he is taking up the job because he is capable of making a mark on the African continent.

He said his first task was to solve Kotoko’s inability to score from open play. Zumdick will also take charge of Asante Kotoko’s junior team programme, initiated by fellow German, Middendorp.

Zumdick says, he was not interesting enough on the German market though he was in line for an appointment by the German Football Federation to handle the National under 17 team.

For present VFL Bochum coach, Peter Neururer, if “The Cat” successfully works in Ghana, in a few months time, he would be King of Africa.

But the real test for “The Cat” would be on Friday, 13th September, when Asante Kotoko plays Ghazel El Mahala in Cairo for the second leg of the African Cup Winners Cup quarterfinal.

The first leg ended 3-0 in favor of Asante Kotoko, a match that Zumdick watched as a spectator in Kumasi. He now takes charge of the team with his first trial game on Sunday against premiership side, Liberty Professionals.