Mariano Bareto
Mariano Barreto

Kumasi Asante Kotoko head coach, Mariano Barreto Jeronimo, will not leave the club at the end of the season.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the club, Nana Yaw Amponsah, the coach will stay to see the club through the ongoing FA Cup competition.

The 64-year-old Portuguese trainer was appointed in March 2021 to replace Maxwell Konadu who was sacked in December 2020 after just five matches into the season.

Barreto came under intense pressure after Kotoko lost 1-0 to rivals Hearts of Oak to give the latter an advantage to clinch the premiership title.

Some disappointed fans called for his sack for suffering a ‘broken heart’ after the Hearts defeat. They are questioning why Barreto is still at post.

But Mr Amponsah, in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday, said the Hearts of Oak defeat is not enough to sack the coach.

“If that is the only basis for sacking, I should have sacked myself first,” he stated.

He explained that coach Barreto was hired to among other things keep discipline in the team and also improve the quality of players for the future.

This notwithstanding, Mr Amponsah said the coach is minded of the fact that he still has to win the league to keep his job.

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