Should Kotoko go to Africa next year?

Kotoko's Africa campaign committee met in Kumasi yesterday.

November 30, 2013 is the deadline given to the Ghana Football Association for the confirmation of participants for the 2014 intercontinental club competitions. By virtue of their achievements on the local scene last season, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Berekum Chelsea, Ebusua Dwarfs and Medeama are the candidates for the CAF organized competitions.

While Kotoko and Chelsea are for the Champions League; Dwarfs and Medeama are eligible to compete in the second most prestigious club competition in Africa, the Confederation Cup. Kotoko have not formally written to the GFA as to whether or not it will participate in next year’s Champions League but with the formation of the Africa campaign committee by the Board, there is utmost certainty that Porcupine Warriors will be in Africa.

I am aware that the yet-to-be inaugurated Africa campaign committee will be chaired by former Board member Alhaji Abu Lamini. Alhaji Lamini was a member of the committee that handled the club’s 2013 Africa campaign. Yesterday, the 2014 committee met in Kumasi to discuss plans for the club’s campaign.

Ahead of that meeting, varying views were expressed by Kotoko supporters over the club’s participation in next year’s Champions League. While a small yet vociferous section of the fans felt that Kotoko currently doesn’t have a team that would be able to conquer Africa like it did decades back, there were those in the larger majority who were convinced that regardless of the team’s present state, the pedigree of Kotoko requires that it plays in Africa.

Then were also those who came in with the money matters. They argued that playing in Africa demands huge financial resources. Therefore, at the time that the leadership of the club is confronted with dire financial difficulties, they were not sure how the managers of the club would surmount the financial challenges to stay afloat on the stormy Africa terrain. All the arguments are valid but you must first listen to the counter-arguments before passing judgment.

For a better presentation and understanding of why Kotoko must go to Africa, some points have to be considered. Team building is a process, Alhaji Lamini; the Chairman of the 2014 Africa campaign committee told me in an interview on this burning subject of Africa participation. As already stated, some supporters feel that Kotoko is not ready for Africa.

Alhaji Lamini disagreed. The current Kotoko team isn’t as strong as most supporters want it to be, he said but the club’s resolve is to strengthen beef up the squad especially in attack before the competition gets underway in February 2014. With the reinforcement and other things being equal, Kotoko must at least get to the league stage. Again, Alhaji Lamini admitted that, Kotoko needs sound financial footing to make meaningful impact in Africa.

The committee’s work in that direction was well cut out for them, the chairman stated, adding that vigorous fund raising among other measures would be implemented to provide the necessary funding for the Africa campaign. Not all of the committee’s plans were divulged because of the impending meeting in Kumasi. I was however convinced that the Africa campaign committee will not fail.

On that score, there are little or no reasons for Kumasi Asante Kotoko to stay out of Africa. The possibility of Ghana losing its two slots which were recently restored by the continent’s football governing body is real, if our clubs qualify yet pull out of the competition. Furthermore and (with no disregard for the club’s impressive achievements on the local scene), it has to be stated that Kotoko supporters are becoming wearing of glories on the domestic scene.

Thus considering the cases for and against the club’s 2014 Africa campaign, I am of the opinion, that, it is all right for Kotoko to go to Africa with their eyes on at least a place at the league stage. After all, without an appearance at the league stage, there is no chance of a semifinal or final berth. The club would have to plan well and be adequately prepared for that big stage.

The 2014 CAF Champions League will be the 50th edition of Africa’s premier club competition. It also be 18th since the competition’s format was revised. It does not befit Kotoko’s status that of the previous 17 competitions, the Porcupines have been at the league stage of the Champions League just once. This does not suit the pedigree of the African club of the century. The club must do something worth talking about with their appearance next year.