On Friday, August 7, 2020, at the Kumasi Sports Hotel, Nana Yaw Amponsah was unveiled as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Asante Kotoko, replacing George Amoako, who left the club following the inauguration of the new 12 member board of directors.

The 2019 Ghana Football Association (GFA) presidential candidate has been widely endorsed by former Kotoko management members, National Circles Council and other supporters groups of the club due to his requisite experience in football administration.

A board member, Kofi Amoa-Abban, on Friday before the unveiling of Amponsah tweeted to congratulate and pledged him his support. But the question is, have you asked the connection despite the entire approval from the board?

Well, I write to unveil the long term relationship between Abban and Amponsah. They have been friends since their Senior High School (SHS) days at Mfantsipim in Cape Coast.

Abban and Amponsah were mates, completing the school in 2001. They were good friends, virtually like brothers. They spent most of the time together at the library and always planned for the future. For me, it’s not surprising both have met at Kotoko to work together.

They maintained their respect and friendship and both were admitted at the University of Ghana (UG). Their friendship moved to a different level at Legon due to the courses they were studying but nothing separated them apart.

To put a bit of smile on your face, Nana Yaw was Kofi’s barber. The respect and understanding that existed between them was amazing.

Nana Yaw graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Master’s Degree in Sports Law and Practice from the Leicester DE Montfort University, UK.

Meanwhile, Abban graduated with a degree in Psychology and pursued a master’s degree at Oslo University. In 2011, Kofi started Rigworld from a small office in Osu, Accra providing recruitment services to the burgeoning oil and gas industry in Ghana.

Prior to that, he had served as a drill crew member with Atwood Hunter responsible for the TEAK1, TEAK 2, and Banda Wells. In July 2015 Abban co-founded PressureTech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rigworld International Services, which offers engineering solutions to oil and gas companies in Ghana and beyond.

After graduating successfully from the University of Ghana, they maintained their friendship and consistently shared ideas together.

With both now working to restore the pride and reignite the club, supporters should not be surprised seeing them together often. This is because of the long-standing relationship from their school days.

Kotoko is a club that has a rich history and with Amponsah and Abban holding key positions, I am convinced they will get the club to the level they deserve to be.

These are two big personalities we know with one in the football world and the other in the corporate world.

With Abban even offering to spend on the Muslim players of Asante Kotoko during the Eid-al Adha means he is interested in the welfare of the club and with Amponsah finally getting the nod as the new CEO of the club, Asante Kotoko will only get better and better together with all the board members.

Interestingly enough, both men are the most youthful males in the boardroom of the club now and if we say youth represent vibrancy, innovation, new trends and modernization, then the youth following of the club will be expecting these two gentlemen to lead the way to the new light of a modern-day club.