By: Jerome Otchere

Date: 09-05-11

Kotoko Express has learnt that arrangements are currently underway to see Kumasi Asante Kotoko embark on a pre-season training tour in Serbia before the start of the 2011/2012 football season.

Kotoko’s FA and International Relations Manager, Kwame Baah-Nuakoh who confirmed this says the training tour could be between late July and early August.

Earlier Administrative Manager and Acting Public Affairs Manager, Benjamin Nti had also spoken about the tour in an interview with the paper.

According to Kwame Baah-Nuakoh, the leadership of the club is still making constructive plans to ensure a successful training. He indicated that the tour would have a positive impact on the shape and performance of the team when the next football season opens.

The pre-season tour as the name implies is to help the club prepare adequately for the challenges next season, which some connoisseurs of the game predict could go well for the Porcupine Warriors considering the ongoing transformation of the club by the current management.

Additional information picked up indicates that the training tour in the European county could last not more than two weeks and the tour programme will be one that will toughen players who will be fortunate to make the trip as a number of friendly matches will be lined up for them against top Serbian clubs.

The tour will additionally give the technical team headed by Coach Bogdan Korak, a Serbian, a very good opportunity to assess the performance and strength of his team while also blending the old and the couple of new players who are likely to be recruited and further form part of the squad for the training tour.

It is not clear exactly when the next football season will start but the management of Kotoko is not perturbed by that.

This is not the first time Kotoko will be going on a tour in Europe. It will be recalled that in July 2007, the club then under the leadership of Sylvester Asare Owusu went on a two-week training tour in Germany. They played six matches with lower division clubs – the topmost of which was against FC Mainz, which the Porcupines lost by a lone goal.

Even before the fine details of the impending trip to Serbia emerge, local pundits of the game including Kotoko supporters are already hailing the leadership Dr. K. K. Sarpong for their vision and purposeful planning. The expectation is that the benefits of the tour of Serbia will be greater than what was witnessed the last time the club undertook such a good training programme.