By: David Kyei

Date: 20-05-11

Fabulous Asante Kotoko FC boasts of over eight million supporters and so for one person to be meritoriously selected for recognition and award means the person has really worked hard for the good and development of the club.

It is for the reason as stated above that Kotoko Express join hands with the members of the Kotoko family to celebrate Ms. Veronica Benewah, a.k.a Sister Afia of Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region for being the first confirmed member of the Kotoko contingent to tour Serbia in the month of August, 2011.

Though there are raffle tickets on sale to draw one lucky supporter to join the team for the tour, what makes the confirmation of Sister Afia for the trip a pleasant piece of news to her and all Kotoko supporters is the fact that she is going to make the trip as a recognition for the selfless support she has been rendering the club in Berekum and its environs.

According to Administrative and Public Affairs Manager, Ben Nti, the eloquent and outspoken firebrand of a lady supporter was considered for the reward based on her meritorious service to the club.

“As a female, one would have expected her to have taken a back role/bench approach by leaving the male supporters to take the front role in support and protection of the interests of the club”.

“However, the above is the direct opposite of the nature and the manner Sister Afia operates. To make her enormous contribution simplistic, she fires on all cylinders thereby making her a big fish in the pond of Sports Radio callers group”.

“As a woman, she has been through painful and bitter experiences all in her quest to rendering her fullest support to the team effort. Management on many occasions has received information from fans over how Sister Afia was being molested and verbally abused or the vice versa whenever she is spotted in town by the irate Berekum Arsenal fans who have been branding her with all sort of invectives”.

“She sacrifices more of her time as a mother and a trader to call into or go on various radio stations to espouse and defend the interest of Kotoko whenever the need be, and from all these, Dr. K. K. Sarpong believes she has sacrificed enough for the club and it was time Kotoko rewarded her for her loyalty,” Ben concluded.

When reached on telephone for her comments on the honour done her, the Serbia bound Sister Afia was initially dumb-founded, but gained her composure and voice when was warmed up for the chat by asking what her impressions were about the performance of the team so far.

“My brother, the second round has been the most exciting period for me. The team has regained the confidence we lost and I am happy that the players that were recruited to beef up the team did not betray the confidence of management in them”.

“Oh my God, tears get into my eyes as soon as I think or decide to talk about the information I have that Dr. Sarpong and his management have selected me to join the team on the Serbian tour,” was her initial response when she was brought back to the main topic for the chat.

“I have since the information been seriously thinking about the criteria, if any, that was used in selecting me for this humbling honour. I keep asking myself if I was the best supporter that Kotoko has, to have been raised this high?”

“In all these thinking moments, I can only be thankful to God for this opportunity and also thank Dr. K. K. Sarpong and his management team and board for the wonderful work they are doing for the club”.

The reward of going on the tour has really raised her morale as a supporter, but the question we asked her was, did she do her supporting in an easy and peaceful manner?

“No. it has not been easy and it has also not been peaceful due to many factors in my peculiar case. First I am a woman who in the normal Ghanaian thinking should involve herself in other feminine activities other than football. Secondly, I am a mother and a trader who sacrifices much of my time moving from and calling into one radio station to another”

“Finally and more pressure-related, I come from and live in Berekum where there are two other premier division clubs. The notion of my people, ie, family, friends and compatriots are that if anything, I should spend my time supporting those Berekum clubs and not a distant club like Kotoko”.

“Though I have defied all their efforts at getting me move away from Kotoko, it gets very difficult for me when we are about to play any of the Berekum clubs”.

“Days to the matches become the period when I dorn my fabulous paraphernalia and on a daily basis, and you can imagine the insults and taunts I receive when I go about doing my daily business”.

“However, I have resolved and taken a solemn pledge on my honour that I will support Kotoko all the days of my life. They can cast all the invectives they know and even beat me to pulp, but nothing can stop me from supporting Kotoko,” she assured.

The reward of going on the Serbian tour has not only brought joy and lifted her spirit, but has also rekindled the desire of many other supporters, especially the females, to uplift their commitment to the team since their hard work stands to be rewarded in the near future.

“Now I receive several calls from my fellow female supporters who live in Berekum asking me to start a Fabulous Ladies Club in Berekum. I have accepted that challenge and have started moves to invite the ladies to attend Circle meetings”.

“On a final note, I thank Kotoko for the honour, because how could a person who does not even have a passport like my self have this come my way, if not for my association with Kotoko”.

“It is true that I do not even have a passport, but I assure you that my passport would be very ready when the time comes for it to be needed,” she said bursting into a loud laughter.