Ex Asante Kotoko gaffer furious with Management
Let’s be honest, they are adults, and should know these things; If the tables turn around and it happens to them, how will they feel, three years later and we still haven’t been compensated, what if any of them was involved in the accident, don’t you think they would have received their compensation…
Coach Steve Pollack
Sunday, July 12, marked exactly three years when tragedy struck the football fraternity in Ghana after the team bus of Kumasi Asante Kotoko had an accident in Nkawkaw en route to Kumasi from Accra.
The Porcupine Warriors had been dealt a huge blow after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Inter Allies in the Premier League and it turned worse after the bus heading to Kumasi encountered the accident at 9:45 pm at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region.
The bus driver, a former captain and assistant coach of the club, Godwin Ablodey; the head coach at the time, Steve Polack and some players sustained different degrees of injuries.
Unfortunately, Thomas Kofi Obeng Asare, who was Kotoko’s Equipment Officer died after he was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw
Three years after the incident, the coach of the club at the time, Steve Polack has raged at management of the club for neglecting them and refusing to compensate the victims.
The Finnish coach, who sustained injuries at the time says, it’s pure disrespect and lack of conscience on the part of Kotoko that has dragged this issue this far.
“Basically it’s a human thing that you do that; you come to your employee’s aid when there has been any kind of problem to your employee.
“You are an employee and you are working for an employer, you expect them (employer) to take care of you whatever happens to you during your contract or how long you’ve been working there. So we were expecting them (Asante Kotoko) to do that,” coach Pollack noted.
“Let’s be honest, they are adults, and should know these things; If the tables turn around and it happens to them, how will they feel, three years later and we still haven’t been compensated, what if any of them was involved in the accident, don’t you think they would have received their compensation?”
“You always need to put yourself in other people’s shoes and feel it too. Kotoko needs to compensate us (accident victims)”, Steve Polack said.
The refusal of the Kotoko leadership to pay these monies has placed a heavy toll on most of the victims.
Longest-serving team driver, Nana Berchie, has been at home since, while players like Baba Mahama and Ollenu Ashitey have had their playing careers curtailed.
Asante Kotoko recently inaugurated a new board and management which will still be spearheaded by the Executive Board Chairman, Dr Kwame Kyei who happened to be at the helm of affairs at the time.
Mustapha Hadji (Dean of Sports)
