Asante Kotoko legend Wilberforce Mfum is pointing at players for the recent downward spiral in performance and results of the porcupine club.
Pre-season results chalked by the side put them in good light to take a aim at reclaiming the league title they lost to AshantiGold last season but a ‘sudden’ slump has seen them at one time, have a taste of life at the bottom of the league table but have now managed to rise to 9th position in the seven-week-old 2015/16 Ghana Premier League.
The 1963 Cup of Nations winner however says he has been least impressed by the quality of the current team having observed the side from pre-season.
According to Mfum who has also previously served on the Kotoko board, the quality displayed by most of the players in games he has watched from then and now is just below par.
“We went to watch Kotoko and Vision Football Club play in Tema when the league had not started. When I watched, I personally told Opoku Nti that the team is not in good shape,” he told Kumasi-based radio Ashh FM.
“My second time was when Kotoko played against Hasaacas in Kumasi of which they won 1-0. They went through difficulties before winning.
“For me, upon a closer look at things, the fault isn’t from the coach or management but rather from the players. They can play 90 minutes of football and score only one. Kotoko isn’t like that,” he added.
The former Black Stars player is highly worried about the lack of spirit among the current players which has resulted in some poor displays.
“The moment you don the Kotoko jersey, you feel like you have a feel of the whole Asante kingdom behind you going for war.
“But the way these players are playing, most of them aren’t good to be honest. I won’t agree if you say the problem is from the board or management or coach but [it’s] rather from the players,” he further explained.
Kotoko players Tuesday, met the life patron of the club, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on individual basis in part of the Asantehene’s set measures to ascertain the main reason(s) for the downward trend in performance.
