One Man honours Kenichi
Founder and president of the Ghana National Supporters Union (GHANSU) Abraham Boakye, who is famously known as One Man Supporter, last Saturday presented a traditional cloth and a pair of sandals (ahenema) as parting gift to the immediate past coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Kenichi Yatsuhashi.
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The presentation took place at the King David Hotel at Kokomlemle in Accra, and in recognition of Kenichi’s immense contribution to the igniting of passion into the Ghana Premier League, according to Abraham Boakye.
He said the GHANSU, in collaboration with JL Properties Group, a real estate development company, decided to present the items in appreciation of the coach, whom he said deserved better than the treatment his employers had handed him.
According to One Man Supporter, Coach Kenichi, whom he described as a gem, brought life and passion into the domestic premiership, by not only reigniting the Hearts of Oak spirit back into the fans like when they won the 2000 CAF Confederation Cup, but also bringing competition into the league which till date had no headline sponsor.
At the short but solemn event, Boakye, who appeared the most disappointed by the sudden departure of Kenichi, said “GHANSU and JL Properties appreciate you today because of your exceptional performance, as well as the revamp and the euphoria you brought to the Ghana Premier League”.
“You changed a doubting team to a winning team, raised the economic stance of the Premier League clubs and you increased spectatorship for the clubs who met your team.
“This is an enviable record that you have achieved within your short stay in the Ghanaian football community”, he stressed.
In reaction to the kind gesture, the 46-year-old Kenichi, who said he was sad and disappointed for leaving his job, expressed appreciation to all Ghanaian football fans, as well as those across Africa, for recognising his good works within the last eight months.
“Receiving this presentation makes me a little bit happier than yesterday because I was very sad and disappointed that I could not continue but I think many people have recognised my eight months’ job across Africa and that makes me a lot better than how I felt yesterday”, he intoned.
Kenichi is expected to depart the shores of Ghana today to make a transit in the UK before proceeding to Goa in India, where he is scheduled to complete a Module Four of an AFC Pro-Diploma course in Professional Coaching License, which is to take off in July.
It will be recalled that Coach Kenichi and Hearts parted ways by mutual consent last week.