Search for Kotoko Coach: Razak's name pops up

“Golden Boy” Abdul Razak could be on his way back as coach of Ghanaian champions, Asante Kotoko, following the imminent exit of Mas-Ud Didi Dramani.

The former Ghanaian international, who has been relishing a return to a coaching job in the Ghana Premier League after a four-year absence, has told the Graphic Sports that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has hinted him he wanted to see his return as coach of Asante Kotoko.

“Yes, His Majesty had expressed his desire to see me back to the club,” the 61-year-old Razak, who was adjudged Africa’s best player in 1978, said in an interview yesterday.

According to him, the Asantehene gave him the hint when players and officials of Kotoko visited the Manhyia Palace last Friday to present him with the Premier League trophy that they won.

“I went with the team and in the course of the introduction, the then Executive Chairman, Dr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, mentioned my name and told the Asantehene that but for the fact that I did not have a FIFA License ‘A’ coaching certificate, he would have loved to see me as the coach of the club.

“At the meeting, Otumfuo invited me to his seat where he told me he would want me to return to coach Kotoko,” Razak said.

Razak, a FIFA License “B” coach but with vast experience in coaching, has had stints with clubs both at home and outside.

Between 2001 and 2002, and 2005 and 2006, he was the coach of Malian giants, Stade Malien, supervising them to three league titles, the Mali FA Cup and Super Cup.

On three occasions in that country, he also won the coach of the year award.

In Ghana he had coached Asante Kotoko and Real Tamale United. In 2003 while at Kotoko he won the Premier League title.

The coaching department of Kotoko is bound to be vacant as Didi Dramani has packed bag and baggage out of Kumasi.

The embattled former national women’s Under-17 coach, who led the Porcupine Warriors to a defence of the league title in the 2012/2013 season, was virtually forced out by the Dr Sarpong administration.

A source close to the coach said he was attending a FIFA coaching course at Prampram and was not likely to return to Asante Kotoko.

However, Didi Dramani, who had a year left on his contract, was demanding unpaid bonuses and other allowances in the region of GHc50,000 from Kotoko.

The 47-year-old coach, who was paid $4,500 a month, guided Kotoko to 38 competitive games, out of which they won 21, drew 14 and lost three.

His failure to advance to the group stage of the CAF Champions League did not go down well with the management who asked him to leave or get pushed out.

With both Didi Dramani and Dr Sarpong out of the scene, Razak believes the way has opened for him to stage a comeback to Asante Kotoko.

He told this paper that Dr Sarpong’s argument that he (Razak) could only coach the club on condition of obtaining a FIFA License ‘A’ certificate was untenable.

“I think Dr Sarpong simply did not want me back at Kotoko that was why he was insisting on all this issue of paper qualification.

“The practical aspect of coaching is more important than all this paper work,” he insisted.

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana