Member of the Normalization Committee (NC) Special Competition Organizing Committee Augustine Arhinful has unreservedly debunked claims he has predicted Accra Hearts of Oak will beat Kotoko to the NC Special Competition tier 1 trophy as claimed by Asante Kotoko official Edmund Ackah.
Ahead of the semi final clash between Hearts of Oak and Kotoko in Accra on June 16, Edmund Ackah, a greater Acccra Representative of the Porcupine Warriors and a management member of the club told FOX Sports in an interview, that he has been told Arhinful had granted a radio interview, predicting that Hearts of Oak would beat Kotoko in the upcoming fixture and lift the trophy in the final to represent Ghana in 2019/2020 season of the CAF Champions League, but the claim has been firmly rejected by the former Ghana international.
“We (Kotoko) are talking about equity and fairness”, Ackah started, speaking to FOX FM. “If you bring a competition and along the line one party sits in a room and we get a member of the Committee who has turned himself into a deputy P.R.O to Opare Addo (Communications Director of Accra Hearts of Oak), Augustine Arhinful going on radio saying Hearts has even won the cup already, saying these things in public, why should I waste my time playing Hearts of Oak, going to lodge in a hotel just to go and get 30% of the gate proceeds”?, he alleged.
Responding to the allegations made by Ackah who confirmed he was only handed an audio in which Arhinful is alleged to have backed the Phobians to victory, Arhinful described the allegations as “strange to me” as he denies any idea of making those comments “anywhere”.
“What you are saying is strange to me”, Augustine Arhinful replied when asked of his reaction to the allegations. “I don’t know where I stood to say that Augustine Arhinful has said Hearts will come to win the cup, so it is strange to me, because someone who has played football before knowing what is in football why would I sit there and predict that a match which Kotoko and Hearts are even yet to play, which is the semifinal, they (Hearts of Oak) would proceed to win the cup, why would I say such a thing, so I don’t know his motive for saying that, I have not stated anywhere that Hearts of Oak would win the cup”, he stated, speaking to FOX FM.
Arhinful was however quick to recall saying about two weeks ago that per the performance of clubs like Karela United, Ashanti Gold SC, Medeam SC, Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak in the ongoing NC Special Competitions, Ghana would have a worthy representation in Africa in the upcoming CAF club competitions, but maintains he never singled out Hearts of Oak to win the ultimate as being claimed.
According to him, Asante Kotoko head coach CK Akonnor who was his playing mate for the Black Stars, remains his best friend and sees no reasons why he would wish him to fail with Kotoko.
“CK Akonnor is my friend, we are like brothers so if he is coaching Asante Kotoko why would I him that the team will fail”? he questioned.