By: Jerome Otchere

Date: 21-06-11

The three-week long justifiers to select young footballers for Kotoko’s youth teams – Anokye and Tutu Stars have ended in Kumasi.

Youth Team Manager, Kwame Kyem-Mainoo speaking to Kotoko Express on Sunday described the exercise as tedious but maintained that with the unflinching support of management, the technical team and other people with the youth team, everything went on successfully.

The exercise ended with 35 young talented players being selected out of 120.

“The whole exercise was though but we had the support of everybody – from the Executive Chairman, Dr. K. K. Sarpong and his management and other people, the Technical Director Malik Jabir; Coach Ernest Appau of Anokye Stars, Opoku Nti, George Kennedy – who is the Youth Coordinator; Wilberforce Mfum, Referee John Okrah, ex-Kotoko player Gariba Ibrahim and many other people who have the club at heart” he said.

The justifiers started in the first week of this month with 120 players who came from the 10 regions of the country.

The technical members of the club who undertook the selection of players had a hectic time downsizing the initial number of 120 to 45 in the first week of matches and other football related tests all performed at the Ridge Park, where Kotoko previously trained.

According to the Youth Manager, they strictly considered the players’ ages adding that there was absolutely no room for overage players.

“We did not want the situation where players over the ages of 17 and 20 years will be recruited because that will definitely defeat the purpose of undertaking the whole exercise. We want to build strong junior sides that will serve as feeder teams for the senior side. So we did not have to recruit overage players” said the Youth Manager.

For the second and third week, which saw the visit of the Executive Chairman, Dr. K. K. Sarpong, the 45 players was cut to 35 which was the targeted number. Kwame Kyem-Mainoo continued that 25 players out of the final 35 would straightway form the U-17 side otherwise known as Tutu Stars whereas the remaining 10 players would be drafted into the U-20 team which already had 15 players.

“In the final analysis we have 50 players for the two youth teams – 25 for Tutu Stars and another 25 for Anokye Stars. We have already registered both teams as third division sides. The ultimate objective is not to win trophies but to train players who can fit well into the senior team. It is all about building a better Kotoko for the future. We believe a good work has been done” he ended.