[ 2013-07-27 ]

Dr.Sarpong and Sunderland CEO Ms Bryne

Dr KK Sarpong's Red wine
By Nii Ayitey Tetteh

From where I sit, I have tried not to form or jump
to any conclusion just yet, unlike the two
extremes of opinions out there.

There are those who are clearly calling for his
head and then there are those, albeit, ones very
close to his camp, who think he has done a
fabulous job.

But no matter where you stand to view the contents
in his glass, there is no denying what is in
there.

Dr. Kofi Kodua Sarpong simply known as K.K Sarpong
has had a week to forget.

The wine he had been making for the past three
years as Executive Board Chairman of arguably
Ghana’s biggest football club, Kumasi Asante
Kotoko, had all of a sudden become stale in the
mouths of sections of the Kotoko family.

His tenure, they argue is a failure, even to the
point of an embarrassment. The fans have had him
for breakfast; he has been accused of employing a
reckless policy on player sales and not replacing
with similar talent.

His public relations hasn’t been the best and
when he dared question the educational level of
some journalists, he wasn’t only had for lunch;
he was grilled for dinner as well.

Such has been K.K Sarpong’s lot. But the doctor
stuck to the business with a thick skin; yes he
did, until the spiritual leader and owner of the
club, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, conducted a form of
football surgery on him.

On the occasion when the team was making a
presentation of the Premier League trophy it had
won; 2 seasons back to back; he was rather
questioned about player sales and inactivity of
some of the board members.

That cut the doctor deep; he probably felt
unappreciated and it is widely believed that,
events from that meeting informed his decision to
hand in his resignation letter.

But how did K.K Sarpong’s red wine get this
stale? How is it that all of a sudden, the wine
that had hitherto been enough to fill Kotoko’s
glass, run out that quickly, so much so that, the
glass is being seen as half empty rather than half
full?

Isn’t it rather a matter of perception that K.K
Sarpong could have done better than reality? Some
few years down the line, won’t the Kotoko family
look back on the decision to pass on K.K
Sarpong’s wine with regret?

Well, why don’t you spare a few minutes and join
me drink from K.K Sarpong’s glass; then we can
be our own judge.

Before then however, let’s take a look at the
properties of K.K. Sarpong’s wine. Here, take a
seat.

SWEET OR SOUR?

K.K Sarpong’s wine will taste sweet or sour
depending on which glass you drink from. It will
taste sweet if you consider that under his tenure,
K.K Sarpong renovated the secretariat, put in
place structures which gave the office a more
professional outlook.

It will be sweet if consider that K.K Sarpong
secured a record 13 Sponsors with MTN as headline
sponsors; it will be sweet if you consider that he
has continued development of the Adako Jachie
project, a facility with modern training grounds,
as well proposed development of other
infrastructure including gymnasium, modern camping
and hotel facilities etc.; it will be sweet if you
consider that Kotoko had not won a league title
for 3 seasons running until she did so in
2011/2012 and went on to retain it in the
2012/2013 season, the first back to back
championship win since 1991/1992.

It will be sweet if you consider that he revived
the Kotoko Express newspaper which was dormant in
2010, reportedly cleared its debts and made it
viable again, even to the point where it is
reported that the Express gives the team GHC5,000
monthly.

However, it will taste sour if you consider that
Kotoko transferred not less than 11 key players
during K.K Sarpong’s tenure; a measure
considered to have weakened the core base of the
team and ultimately responsible for the team’s
exit from this year’s CAF Champions League.

It will be sour if you consider the accusation,
though unconfirmed, of lack of transparency and
accountability in player sales. It will be sour if
you consider K.K Sarpong’s challenging public
relations and posture, which haven’t endeared
him to even Kotoko’s rank and file as well as
other media men.

But the question remains; when you mix these sweet
and sour properties, what kind of wine do you get?
Do you get bland wine or one that is still
fermenting; a kind of work in progress?

FERMENTING STAGE

A work in progress is what it looks like, because
despite all his shortcomings, you would want to
ask; are those shortcomings such that, the Kotoko
family cannot pull together, find a common ground
and build upon K.K Sarpong’s solid foundation
rather than start over from scratch?

What is the assurance that a new Executive will
deliver the CAF Champions League that the Kotoko
faithful so crave, if an unnecessary developmental
gap is created between K.K Sarpong’s and the new
one?

Shouldn’t K.K Sarpong’s wine be seen as one
still fermenting, soon to mature for tasting,
rather than one that is already sour.

I guess you have formed your opinion by now. Would
it be jeers for K.K Sarpong or you will raise your
wine glass, clink it and say cheers?

niiayitey29@gmail.com

Source - Ghanasoccer

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