The past four to five weeks have been difficult for Ghanaians following the continuous rise of coronavirus cases in the West African country.
No work for most citizens, no school, no church, no mosque, no traditional meetings, and very less entertainment as major concerts and sporting activities have been banned from taking place.
These have left Ghanaians anxious and praying for the deadly virus to vanish from the country. People just want their normal lives back!
And while every institution is dealing with the pandemic, Kumasi Asante Kotoko has another problem to deal with. The club is shockingly staring relegation in the face.
Why is Kotoko facing relegation?
FIFA on Friday, April 10, ordered Asante Kotoko to pay Tunisian giants Esperance $240,000 following the transfer of striker Emmanuel Clottey to them.
According to a verdict released by FIFA on Friday, April 10, Kotoko had been ordered to pay the Tunisian club $180,000 for the transfer of the player, an additional $45,000 as interest on the figure.
Also, Kotoko would pay the committee that sat on the case between the two sides over the transfer of the player $15,000, bringing the total figure to $240,000.
Asante Kotoko in 2015 signed Clottey, for the Ghana Premier League (GPL), but the player was still having a running contract with Tunisian giants Esperance.
The Tunisian side challenged Kotoko at FIFA leading to a prolonged legal tussle, with the world football body imposing a fine of $180,000 on Clottey for breach of contract.
Failure by Asante Kotoko to pay the fine by the close of May 10, 2020, will lead to FIFA ordering the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to relegate them from the Ghanaian top-flight.
Unprecedented if it happens
Asante Kotoko is just unthinkable but it's possible as FIFA always applies the law irrespective how big or important the club is. They have to pay the fine as soon as possible.
Since it was founded in 1935 (83 years of existence) Kotoko - one of the proud assets of the great Ashanti Kingdom - have always known one thing, top-flight football and it would a bitter pill to swallow should they get relegated.
They are the record holders of the national league with 24 wins four more than sworn rivals Hearts of Oak. Losing league status means the club can't rub shoulders with big guys on the continent by featuring in continental club competitions like CAF Champions League which they have won two times (more than any Ghanaian club). Their ego will suffer a huge blow and may take some years to recover it.
Big boost for Division One League
The Ghanaian second-tier league is lowly rated having seen little to no attention paid to it since its inception. Interest for the league is very low and they fail to attract sponsorship and television rights deals. Even the best of foreign scouts that come into the country pay little attention to the talent in the league as they focus more on the first division.
But that could change should Kotoko join it.
Kotoko has a big fan base probably the club with the most followers in the country. They are endowed with what it takes to make the Division One League an interesting brand to follow.
With their inclusion, the following will improve tremendously. This will leave companies with no option to invest in it. The GFA will also be forced to consider the league as a priority in terms of television right deals.
Conclusion:
Kotoko are eager to clear the debt and they must pay as it is non-negotiable. But failure to do so, they can be assured of a warm reception to the Division One League.