Former editor of Kotoko Express newspaper and sports pundit, Jerome Otchere, has called on the management of Asante Kotoko to maintain interim coach Abdul Karim Zito as head coach for next season.

Zito, acting in an interim capacity as Kotoko coach, has led the Reds to two wins and one draw in all competitions since replacing Dr. Prosper Ogum Narteh.

The Porcupine Warriors have qualified for the final of the MTN FA Cup and are currently trailing Ghana Premier League table leaders, Nations FC, by just 3 points with four games to end the campaign.

Some foreign and local coaches like Maxwell Konadu and Charles Kwablan Akonnor have been rumoured to take over as substantive coach of the Porcupine Warriors from next season, which will mean Zito will revert to his original position as technical director of the club.

But speaking in an interview with Luv FM’s Sports Blitz Xtra, former Kotoko Express editor, Jerome Otchere, admonished the management of Kotoko to keep Zito as head coach because of his experience playing in Africa.

He believes Zito’s experience with Dreams FC in the CAF Confederation Cup will be needed when Kotoko qualifies to participate in the Africa inter-club competition next season.

“If I’m to speak from experience, it will make a lot of sense to keep Zito, that’s if Zito is willing to stay in the sense that I think Kotoko stands a very good chance of winning the FA Cup.

“The league is not looking 100 per cent sure, now if Kotoko wins the league or the FA cup, there’s a chance that we will play in Africa.

“I am looking at a coach who just last season or year steered Dreams FC in the African context to reach the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup, and that was a big achievement not just for Zito but for Dreams and Ghana football as well.

“So if Zito is coming in with that experience and I am a decision maker at Kotoko, I will definitely look at that experience Zito has had in the last one year and begin to think he has what it takes to steer Kotoko in Africa,” he said.

Kotoko will face Division One League side Golden Kick FC on June 15 at the University of Ghana Stadium in the MTN FA Cup final.