Former Asante Kotoko Communications Director, Sarfo Duku, has thrown his support behind the club’s decision to appoint South African coach Eric Tinkler, arguing that expatriate coaches are better equipped to enforce discipline and manage player attitudes than their local counterparts.
Speaking to Nhyira FM on the rationale behind his support for the appointment, Duku said Ghanaian coaches often face challenges in commanding authority due to their familiarity with players and the country’s cultural dynamics.
According to him, local coaches frequently struggle to instil discipline because of close personal relationships and societal expectations, making it difficult to enforce strict standards within the team.
“So far I am impressed with the appointment of the director of football and the coach [Eric Tinkler]. I strongly advocated for the appointment of a foreign person to fill those gaps.
“In view of several disciplinary issues, I believed it was time for Kotoko to bring an expatriate for us to see if things would be done the same way, because, to be honest with you, things were not going well at a point between the technical team and the playing body, and I believed that we needed somebody who could change the attitude of the boys.
“You can’t rule out the issue of familiarity; you will not be surprised that local coaches have their boys, so it will be difficult, and also the way we do our recruitment, we allow them to bring their boys, and it’s a fact nobody can deny,” he added.
Asante Kotoko, now under the guidance of head coach Eric Tinkler, will begin their 2026/27 Ghana Premier League campaign with a home fixture against newly promoted Debibi United.
