Kotoko Demand ?400m for Top 4

Kumasi Asante Kotoko may well be on their way out of the forthcoming Coca-Cola Top Four tournament with demands that do not seem to sit comfortably with tournament organisers, the Ghana League Clubs Association.

The 2003 league champions who qualify for the Top Four tournament by virtue of coming tops of the Premier League are asking for an appearance fee of ?400 million from Ghalca and the ace they are playing according to a management member of the club, is their following.

Ghalca is proposing to give each participating team ?120 million as appearance fee, plus a 35 percent stake in gate proceeds when a club plays home and 30 percent in away matches.

But Kotoko say they want a flat ratio of 50 percent at the gates in all their home matches and 40 percent in away matches with the remainder going to the other clubs, Ghalca, Sports Council and other stakeholders.

Ayisi Boateng, in charge of Kotoko’s finances said in a radio programme in Accra yesterday that Ghalca’s proposed ratios amount to cheating Kotoko and if their demands are not met, Kotoko would advice themselves.

He maintained that when the tournament gets underway, it is Kotoko supporters who would fill the stands and it would be unfair for Ghalca to evenly distribute proceeds. He said none of the other participating teams has any good following as Kotoko and for some of the clubs, their best following could be a quarter of Kotoko’s followers in their away matches, insisting that they cannot allow other clubs to live off Kotoko.

‘We no go sit down make them cheat us everyday’, he said.

Several phone calls to Ghalca Administrative Manager, Kudjoe Fianoo for an official position were unanswered but other sources at Ghalca called the Kotoko demand a blackmail and an arm twisting approach, saying the club should have laid down their conditions long ago to facilitate organisation and should not have waited only to emerge with ‘the high demands at the eleventh hour.’

The source said there is no way Ghalca would be able to meet Kotoko’s demands since it would be a recipe for the other clubs to put in their own terms and eventually destroy the tournament, questioning if Kotoko would be making such demands when they embark on the Confederation of Africa-organised Champions League next year.

Soccer Express sources close to the tournament say the other clubs; Accra Hearts of Oak, King Faisal and Liberty Professionals have all accepted the Ghalca terms and have confirmed participation.

But Asante Kotoko have long made latent threats not to participate in the Top Four Tournament. It started with the Charles Taylor transfer saga when the club accused the Ghalca of indifference after the Ghana Football Association ordered Kotoko to pay penalties to Hearts of Oak for inducing Taylor’s breach of his contract with Hearts and also in the current stalemate in the ?850 million ordered to be returned to Kotoko.

Should Kotoko back out of the tournament, Ghalca may have to rope in Berekum Arsenals who placed fifth in the leagueand would be too eager to replace them. The games kick off on January 11, 2004 at the Accra and Kumasi stadia.