Ghana Premier League giants Kotoko are preparing to part company with five players after the club’s technical team identified the first group of footballers who are not included in its plans for the coming campaign.
Prince Badu, Elvis Kyei Baffour, Francis Acquah, Benjamin Twum and Kwame Poku are all expected to leave the club as part of a planned squad restructuring, according to Oyerepa FM.
The players’ proposed departures represent the opening stage of a wider overhaul at Kotoko. Head coach Eric Tinkler and the club’s technical department are continuing to assess the squad as they work to shape a team for the 2026/27 season.
The technical team has reportedly communicated its recommendations to the club’s board, with the five players forming the first batch of senior footballers expected to be removed from the squad. Their contracts are set to be terminated as Kotoko begin adjusting their playing personnel ahead of the new campaign.
The move is part of a rebuilding process being led by Tinkler and the club’s technical staff. Their priority is to establish the group of players they want to take forward, while allowing those outside their plans to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Kotoko have already brought in several new players during the current transfer window. The club is also expected to continue strengthening important areas of the squad before the start of the new season, meaning further changes are likely as preparations continue.
A second group of players who are expected to leave is reportedly due to be announced next week. That announcement would mark the next phase of Kotoko’s restructuring, following the initial decision involving Badu, Kyei Baffour, Acquah, Twum and Poku.
The club’s latest decisions underline the scale of the changes taking place before the 2026/27 campaign. While the first list consists of five players, Kotoko’s rebuilding programme is not yet complete and further departures are anticipated.
For now, the club is balancing squad reductions with recruitment. The current transfer window has already seen Kotoko make a number of additions, but the technical team is expected to remain active as it seeks to address key positions and complete the reshaping of the team.
The identity of the second group of departing players has not yet been disclosed. They are, however, expected to be named next week as the Porcupine Warriors continue with their plans to assemble a squad suited to Tinkler’s requirements for the forthcoming season.
