The Asantehene and Life Patron of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has directed the club’s Board Chairman, Paul Adu-Gyamfi, to meet with embattled David Duncan to decide his fate.
This follows the controversial decision by the club’s management to order the coach to step aside and hand over the technical affairs to his assistant, Michael Osei.
Until the issue is resolved however, Otumfuo has asked both the management and the board to accord Duncan all the courtesies and rights he deserves as head coach and must also ensure that the terms of his contract are respected, the Graphic Sports has learnt.
Otumfuo gave the directive last Monday after a marathon closed-door meeting with the coach, Kotoko’s management members and the board at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi, as part of measures to bring sanity to the club and also stall the deepening of factionalism within the Porcupine Warriors.
The Asantehene further directed that no one should comment on the issue publicly and the club must ensure that the public relations department was streamlined, according to Graphic Sports sources at Manhyia.
Following a string of poor results which saw Kotoko slip to the bottom of the Premier League table after a 0-1 loss to Aduana Stars at Dormaa-Ahenkro on April 3, the Samuel Opoku Nti-led management asked Duncan to “step aside”, while his assistant took charge of affairs, much against the advice of the board chairman who had suggested that the decision was delayed.
But even before Mr Adu-Gyamfi could stop in to resolve the issue, Kotoko management sources told the Graphic Sports, Coach Duncan had responded to the “step aside” order with a stinker through his lawyer, Larbi Amoah, demanding to be reinstated by the club’s management in order “to avoid any physical confrontation”.
A defiant Duncan had insisted that there was no such thing as “step aside” in his contract and, therefore, could not be pushed to the background.
Following the directive, he was abandoned by his players during preparation for last Sunday’s 3-1 win over Liberty Professionals, with Osei taking charge of training and the match in Kumasi which saw the club move from the bottom of the league table to the ninth position.
Duncan is in his second year of a two-year renewable contract with the club.
Under the contract, he was expected to win the league or place second in his first year as well as qualify to the quarter-final stage of the MTN FA Cup.
And in the second year, he is tasked to qualify the club for the CAF Champions League and also gain entry to the money zone.
He placed second and played in the final of the MTN/FA Cup in his first year but following a disastrous start of this season’s league, management feared he might not be able to meet his target in his second year hence the ‘step aside’ order.
Source: Graphic