The Chief Executive Officer of Asante Kotoko, Nana Yaw Amponsah, has revealed why Seydou Zerbo was sacked as head coach of the team.
The Burkinabe trainer, who replaced Prosper Narteh Ogum on a two-year deal, was shown the exit after a poor start to the season.
Mr Amponsah, speaking to Oyerepa FM, revealed that the fans planned to attack the trainer for the poor run of results.
According to him, the board also informed him he should sack the coach or he loses his job.
“We did not succumb to pressure to let him go, no. As the management, we were aware of the club’s situation and what he was capable of. However, we received strong intelligence that some individuals had planned to attack him at the training ground, similar to what happened to Matic at Hearts of Oak. Such an incident had previously occurred at Kotoko, and we believed that allowing it to happen would not be in the best interest of the club, especially considering the club’s image,” he told Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM.
“When we discussed this with him, he also mentioned having conversations with his embassy here (Burkina Faso Embassy), and they reiterated the same concerns. So, we felt that if some people were going to attack the coach at the training ground and tarnish the club’s reputation, it would be best to spare ourselves that trouble. If he is falling out of favour, we should save ourselves that trouble.”
He continued, “If you ask any member of the management, we were not happy about him leaving because we believed we still had a chance in the league with him. Given the limited time left, bringing in an external coach would not have a significant impact if the officiating continued as it had been.
“There was majority of supporters who wanted him (Zerbo) out. I recall our match against Hearts of Oak in Accra, where I had to intervene to prevent an attack on him. Even some people I know were involved, but that is not relevant now. At one point, there were demands from the board, and I state this on record, that either the coach goes or the CEO goes,” he added.
Abdul Gazale has been named as the interim manager of the club. After 30 games played, Kotoko, who are defending champions, sit 6th on the league log with 44 points and will be hosted by Kotoku Royals in the matchday 31 games on Sunday.
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