Former Asante Kotoko Communications Director Sarfo Duku has defended the club’s decision to appoint South African coach Eric Tinkler, saying an expatriate manager could be better placed to restore discipline and improve player attitudes.
Speaking to Luv FM in Kumasi, Duku said he had strongly supported the decision to bring in foreign leadership after a period in which relations between the technical team and the playing squad had deteriorated.
He argued that local coaches can face difficulties when trying to impose authority because of their familiarity with the players and their connections within Ghanaian football.
Duku said those relationships may make it harder for domestic coaches to enforce discipline consistently or demand the standards required from the squad. He also pointed to the way recruitment is handled, claiming local coaches are sometimes allowed to bring in players they already know.
“So far I am impressed with the appointment of director of football and the coach [Eric Tinkler]. I strongly advocated for the appointment of a foreign person to fill those gaps.
“In view of several disciplinary issues, I believed it was time for Kotoko to bring an expatriate for us to see if things will be done the same way because to be honest with you, things were not getting on well at a point between the technical team and the playing body and I believed that we needed somebody who could change the attitude of the boys.
“You can’t rule out the issue of familiarity, you will not be surprised that local coaches have their boys so it will be difficult and also the way we do our recruitment, we allow them to bring their boys and it’s a fact nobody can deny.”
Duku’s comments centre on the need for a change in approach at Asante Kotoko rather than on the coaching nationality alone. He said the club’s disciplinary problems had created a need for someone who could establish a different relationship with the players and set clearer boundaries within the team.
In his view, a coach arriving from outside Ghana may be less affected by existing personal relationships and football connections. That distance, he believes, could make it easier to challenge player behaviour and maintain discipline.
The former communications director also linked the appointment of Tinkler with a wider restructuring at the club, referring to the arrival of both a director of football and the South African coach. He said he was encouraged by the appointments and regarded the changes as necessary after the difficulties involving the technical staff and players.
Duku’s assessment is based on his belief that familiarity can influence authority in the dressing room. He maintained that local coaches may find it challenging to discipline players with whom they have longstanding relationships, especially when recruitment decisions also involve bringing in familiar players.
His backing gives public support to Asante Kotoko’s decision to appoint Tinkler at a time when the club is seeking to address concerns about discipline and attitude within the squad.
