Are you wondering if some players of Asante Kotoko are missing from the team? Maybe . But you’re not alone.
Even the notorious supporters of the club who are always at the AJ Centre to watch the Club’s training were wondering the whereabouts of some players.
Journalists and fans were also left confused at the Accra Sports Stadium as to the seemingly new faces of some of the players when Kotoko played Dreams, before realizing that indeed they were not new players.
Word went round that while getting ready and during the pre season camping in Dubai, head coach Prosper Ogum has been preaching on the need for the players to remind themselves of the club they play for, stay discipline and carry themselves well as Kotoko players and role models to thousands of footballers wishing to play for the Fabulous Club.
The Ogum sermon is said to have worked magic as the players started introspective search and amended some of their acts, with a lot of them getting new hair cuts and putting a stop to other life styles which may affect them. It resulted in new hair stars as some Rasta hairs fell while others started dressing their hair very well in camp.
Two notable players who were with the squad last season and wore dreadlocks Christopher Nettey and Evans Adomako are completely done with the locks and are now having new looks, making it difficult for them to be identified .
But what is it with players and their hair cuts on the field of play. Well, maybe nothing really but lots of coaches pay attention to this. Remember an incident in the Argentina national team in 1998?
Fernando Redondo of Real Madrid and Argentina, then regarded as the best midfielder in the World was not picked for the 1998 World Cup in France by Coach Daniel Passarella due to his refusal to cut his long hair.
Perhaps this must be one of the best joke of a decision to drop a player but it happened to the world class player who was winning champions league, la Liga and World Club.
The 1994 World Cup was a low point for Argentinian football, with Diego Maradona bowing out after a failed drug test.
Then stepped in Passarella who succeeded Alfio Basile as Argentina’s national team manager. Passarella had won two world cups with Argentina as a player was to lead his nation through life after Maradona and he immediately wasted little time making his mark.
His first act was to ban earrings and long hair in the national camp. The first casualty was David Batistuta, who was synonymous for his flowing locks. His initial stubborness saw him benched during the World Cup qualifiers as Hernan Crespo became the preferred choice.
He eventually cut the hair off before getting back to the good books of the coach .
But one man who was not ready to listen was Fernando Redondo, he was the nightmare for the coach. His hair flowed on his shoulders as he marshaled games from the defensive midfield.
The coach virtually begged him before a World Cup Qualifier against Colombia to cut the hair and join the team because it was a crucial match but he refused, saying he may regret later but not ready to compromise on certain things . He preferred watching the World Cup on TV and surely did, with another stubborn player and fellow long haired renegade master Claudio Caniggia.
For Ogum,no such order really went out but ghanasportspage.com is informed that the coach posed a simple message to the players that.
“We should carry ourselves better and as ambassadors of this great club. Whatever you’re doing and wherever you are, know that millions of eyes are on you and you’re representing your family and Kotoko, are you proud how you are seen, let’s remain focus on our key issue of winning matches and do well for ourselves “.
This simple message is said to have some a marvelous transformation in the team and they are responding well to the new direction.
Kotoko play Bechem United on Sunday and fans are expected to worry for a few moments before they can properly identify some of the players because of their new looks.
Good job