COACH Malik Jabir has received the nod to assume the mantle as head coach of Asante Kotoko.

The celebrated retired footballer?s endorsement by the board and management ends weeks of uncertainty regarding who was to take over from dismissed German coach, Hans Dieter-Schmidt.

It followed an exhaustive process of appraisal during which many options were considered. The names of high profile local coaches like Herbert Addo and E. K. Afranie, as well as those of former Kotoko players, Ebo Mends, Kwasi Appiah and Opoku Nti came up.

According to a well-placed source in Kotoko, a very respectable coach whose name was not disclosed was helping in the process of appointing an effective assistant for Malik.

There was an initial resistance to the choice of Malik among sections of the club?s followers, especially in Kumasi. The resentment stemmed from a belief that he sought to interfere in the work of Abdul Razak when he was the coach of Kotoko in 2003.

However, this has been debunked by Kotoko insiders who insist that although Malik was the Technical Director at the time, he gave Razak a free hand in his job.

?There isn?t a shred of truth in the allegation that Malik interfered in the work of Abdul Razak. It was all a campaign of vilification?, one source asserted.

Malik has had a very eventful relationship with Kotoko since the 60s when he started playing for the club while a student at Radisco in Kumasi.

As a player, he belonged to the class of quality players who took Ghana football to the heights of glory. He was a key member of the Black Stars which he once captained.

He along with two compatriots ? John Eshun and Oliver Acquah ? savoured the unique honour of being selected into an African XI squad in the 70s.

Malik scored the winning goal for Kotoko when it won the Africa Cup the first time in 1970 in the final match against Englebert in Kinshasa.

As a coach, he masterminded Kotoko?s 5-1 demolition of reigning champions, Zamalek, in a semi-final club championship in Kumasi in 1987.

He was the assistant to Coach Ibrahim Sunday when Kotoko won the Africa Cup the second time in 1983 in the final against El-Ahli of Egypt in Kumasi.

Malik again led Kotoko to the final of the continent?s most prestigious competition in 1993 which Zamalek won on penalties in Egypt. He is expected to leave for Holland anytime soon for a one-month refresher course in coaching.