The 2022/2023 season of the Ghana Premier League may not be a season worth going down the history books of Asante Kotoko, but the record league champions have had numerous glamorous initiatives, incentives and futuristic plans put up by a truly wholehearted Kotoko personality, Kwame Adu-Gyamfi, whose outstanding leadership efforts have proven worth saluting.
The founder and President of the reigning Asante Kotoko supporters wing, North America Circle 001, has not just founded a fully registered supporters wing of the mighty Porcupine Warriors, but has instituted groundbreaking commercially viable initiatives that seek to inspire well performing players of the club, and to as well reemphasize the need to support living legends of the club.
Since its official formation in January 2021, the North America Circle 001, a brainchild of the indefatigable Kwame Adu-Gyamfi, has brought into being initiatives such as the Asante Kotoko Player of the Month award with a desirable prize money of GH₵2,000, financial support for old players in need, distribution of free match tickets to fans to boost stadium attendance among others.
Isaac Oppong’s given cheque for becoming Asante Kotoko player of the month
On top of the above, Adu-Gyamfi has through the formation of the North America Circle 001 undertaken the task of mobilizing the numerous Asante Kotoko fans in North America (USA) to form a vibrant and identifiable supporters group of the diaspora, through whom funds are mobilized to support activities that aim at helping the club to get better on and off the field of play. His initiation of the maiden Kotoko-focused radio sports show in the USA has contributed largely to the popularity and visibility of the club in the States among the lots.
The Kwame Adu-Gyamfi led Circle 001 has so far supported four old players of Asante Kotoko financially, giving them a sense of recognition of their immense contributions to the club during their prime time as players of the Kumasi based Ghana Premier League giants.
The beneficiaries of the Circle 001 financial support for old Asante Kotoko players include Kofi Abbrey, Dogo Moro (of blessed memory), Yaw Sam and Kwaku Duah. In July 2021, a team led by the first vice Chairman of the NCC, Nana Kwame Dankwah and Adu Acheampong, made a cash presentation of GH₵3,240 to Kwaku Duah to ease financial burden on the shoulders of the ex-midfielder, who had undergone a foot surgery to correct injuries sustained during his playing days with Asante Kotoko back in the 90s.
Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Kwaku Duah receives financial support from North America Circles 001
In addition, the club’s long serving technical staff, Issah Amadu was also rewarded with a cash of GH₵4,000 for what the giver, North America Circle 001 describes as a reward for ‘’Outstanding Service Record’’ to Asante Kotoko.
Issah Amadu poses with the cheque of GHC4000 presented him by North America Circle 001 at the Baba Yara sports stadium.
These great interventions have become a reality through the selfless contributions from committed members of the North America Circle 001 such as Charles Asumeng, Kwadwo Boahen, Otafrebuo Agyenim Boateng, Haj Abdulai Musah, Alhaji Bonny Fiiko, Joseph Boateng, Nana Kwame Boadu among others. The strides made thus far came by the massive support from these able supporters who have been the backbone of the success chocked so far, and making the thrives for the many to come.
The future of the club Asante Kotoko, growing into becoming a financially potent club owning lots of infrastructure is the long term goal of the man who eats, wears and dreams Asante Kotoko. As the proponent of commercialization of not-already-existing paraphernalia of the club to amass funds for the club, Adu-Gyamfi has his sights on introducing Asante Kotoko Ashanti Regional Youth League, and currently working on long-term infrastructure projects for Asante Kotoko, ghanasportspage.com can reveal.
In terms of revenue generation, our findings reveal numerous commercialization ideas in the pipeline which Gyamfi intends to achieve for his darling club, some of which include branded drinking ceramic cups, branded training bags, branded water bottles for players, technical team, supporters among others.
The vision has been set in motion, and with our eyes widely opened to project the good image of the local clubs and by extension Ghana football, following the pace set by the visionary Kwame Adu-Gyamfi, our lenses will continue to follow all good initiatives undertaken by diehard fans and fan groups to give their clubs a desirable future.
