President Kuffour Wishes Kotoko Well

President John Agyekum Kufuor is urging Kumasi Asante Kotoko to be inspired by national pride and a sense of history as they take on Wydad Atheletic Casablanca of Morocco in the African Cup Winners Cup final on Sunday. A goodwill message from the President to Kotoko said: “I have little doubt that the players in particular would be inspired by this sense of history to play above themselves to bring honour not only to themselves but also to Mother Ghana as a whole."

Aside the national interest, President Kuffour would have deep rooted personal interest in the outcome of this game. The last time Kotoko reached the finals of a major Africa Cup final, the President was Kotoko’s board chairman.

Kotoko lost that two-legged encounter against Zamalek of Egypt in what was to become Kuffour’s last year with the club. He has gone on from there to become Ghana’s president but clearly his love for Kotoko has not diminished.

He says in his statement that he is fully confident that Kotoko would overcome the first leg loss in Casablanca and do justice to the club’s “proud tradition in African continental competitions having won the prestigious cup trophy twice already.”

To get a third win, Kotoko must beat Wydad by two clear goals to cancel their 0-1 deficit from the first leg and go on to lift the Nelson Mandela Cup. If they do, it will be the first time a Ghanaian side has won the trophy.