Asante Kotoko have announced the mutual termination of their contract with defender Yussif Mohammed Nurudeen, citing his dual commitment to football and nursing.
Nurudeen, who joined Kotoko on a three-year deal from Real Tamale United (RTU) before the 2023/24 Ghana Premier League (GPL) season, is also an enrolled nurse with the Ghana Health Service.
Despite the club’s efforts to persuade the 21-year-old to prioritize his football career, Nurudeen remained steadfast in his nursing commitments.
An emergency meeting convened by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) on Sunday, August 4, 2024, concluded that it was in the best interest of both parties to part ways.
“The club entered into a three-year employment agreement with Nurudeen before the commencement of the 2023/24 football season.
“However, management notes that Nurudeen also has a contract with the Ghana Health Service as a practicing enrolled nurse. The club explored all possible options to convince him to focus on his football career, but Nurudeen remained committed to his career in nursing.”
The IMC emphasized that this decision was made to preserve team cohesion ahead of the new season.
“The IMC would like to assure our supporters that the club will not suffer any financial or sporting penalties due to this decision and wishes Nurudeen the best for the future,” read a statement from the club.
“The club will not be making any further comments on this decision and considers the matter closed.”
Nurudeen clocked 2,593 minutes across 30 appearances in his sole season with Kotoko.
Reports claimed that at the time he arrived from Tamale, Nurudeen had hoped the club would facilitate a transfer to Kumasi, enabling him to continue his nursing career while playing football. However, this did not materialize, leading to a standoff and his subsequent absence from pre-season training.
Asante Kotoko’s supporters will now look forward to the club’s preparations for the upcoming Ghana Premier League season, set to begin on September 6, 2024.
