Herbert Mensah to leave Kotoko next year?

He stands well above the six feet mark. Much taller than the normal 5.8m average, for the Ghanaian male. Supporting his frame is a huge but fairly coloured body that portrays him as a fitness fanatic. Probably, to readers who love basketball, Michael Jordan of the Bulls readily comes to mind. He tells me rugby is his first love. Basketball is secondary. But now he is into football, neck deep in football which only emphasises his love for sports.

He keeps a strict regiment that includes working out in the gym every morning and any engagement before then is cancelled. GRi was to find this out soon. When we went to interview him, we had to wait for sometime as he did his morning workout in the gym. Then he donned the favourite red colour of the Porcupine Warriors, Fabulous Kumasi Asante Kotoko, arguably, the most celebrated club in the Ghana.

Just as we were settling down for a long chat, he released a bombshell. "I will leave Kotoko next year". "Next year," I asked, almost falling out of my seat, for this is the man who had just taken over the chairmanship of Kotoko and was making waves all over the place. "Yes, if Kotoko, the big club, is not able to generate enough resources to become self-financing by the end of next year," he replied.

Is he bluffing, I asked myself as I got ready to delve deeper and find out more. But I soon realise that Herbert Mensah, the 39-year old Economist who became Executive Chairman of Kotoko about seven months ago, meant the statement more as challenge than as a threat or a show off.

His countenance was of a man who knew the arduous nature of the task at hand but was ready to see it done. A dreamer who will stop at nothing until thoughts and ideas are translated into reality. "If I fail with one attempt, I’ll have to try a second, then the next", says Herbert who is of the opinion that failure evolves when there is chequered interest and therefore lack of the required commitment to a task. "You can’t do what you don’t feel", so says my philosophical interviewee, who is also the country manager of M-Net, Africa's premier pay-per view television station.

The adroitness with which Herbet has managed M-Net affairs in Ghana, making almost a household name in the country is already beginning to reflect on his management of Kotoko.

At the beginning of the season, Kotoko could not honour its first match because of a player-revolt as a result of unpaid salaries and bonuses.

Seven months after Herbert assumed office the club is one of the few in the country that have paid all monies due their players. Not only that, salaries of Kotoko players have been increased. The reward is a peaceful and co-operative atmosphere in the team which has seen a lot of players knocking at the door, wanting to join the team.

For instance 18 million cedis owed the National Investment Bank has been paid and 300m cedis, spent on player recruitment. Just introduced into the administrative mainstream is the ‘Kotoko Express’ a true mouthpiece of the club with a column on boardroom issues, which offers a down-to-earth management transparency. The money sourcing ‘Scratch Card’, designed to eventually raise funds to cover monthly overheads is also in operation now.

What’s more, indefatigable Herbert and his able lieutenants have struck a mouth-watering 234m cedis sponsorship deal with Mobitel Ghana Limited. This surely puts Kotoko ahead of the pack.

The Mobitel sponsorship deal is a renewable contract that gives Asante Kotoko a monthly sum of 12m cedis for the next 18 months and Herbert says "it would be used to cater for bonuses and travel expenses".

Under the deal, the first 18 regular players of the club each has a ‘Star Call’ cellular phone with a free Star Call starter pack.

"This should make it possible for the players to answer promptly to calls for impromptu assignments as and when they arise," Herbert said adding that Mobitel benefits by having the Star Call logo displayed on Kotoko's kit, while the cellular firm may have place on the Kotoko board which is yet to be constituted.

In his usually cool but receptive mood, the Kotoko boss kept to his frankness when asked what made his club clinch the pact with Mobitel.

"It was because of the transparency in which the club has been run in the last few months which has created a stable climate devoid of dispute, particularly, regarding finances," Herbert says.

He adds: "management scored a first when it published its accounts for the first half of the year. It also demonstrated its willingness for growth through its well-structured programmes.

"We are envisaging football today as a whole business venture that must be so catered for. Mobitel, I’m sure were convinced by the efforts we’ve made so far. Besides, Asante Kotoko is reckoned to be one of the best clubs in Africa".

The Porcupine Warriors are rated the second best club in Africa by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after El Haly National of Egypt although Herbert thinks his club is superior in many respects.

Kotoko’s vibrant four-year development programme that is being put in place must be the envy of many club administrators. Described neither as medium nor long term, Mr Herbert Mensah talks of an aggressive drive for off-the-field and on-the-field initiatives capable of lifting the club to its giant status of yesteryears. "Kotoko must move on very quickly. That’s all our concern. We’re therefore not talking of short or long term but looking for accelerated results".

Under head coach Abubakahr Ouattara, juvenile sides of the Club with levels ranging from Under-14, through Under-16, and Under-18 to Under-20 have been established. The youth teams will be tied to the senior side to ensure that what is best is always available.

"The exercise is also aimed at bringing up players who believe in Kotoko who would want to play for Kotoko and would be prepared to give their everything for Kotoko’s sake".

Management therefore deems it a responsibility to accommodate and educate the selected juveniles aside of football, with the way out being the establishment of a sports academy.

Under a lease of a 50-acreage land at Adum (in Kumasi) given out by none other than the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, also life patron of the club, Herbert and his men are to develop the plot into a sports complex of international repute under the four-year plan. The first structure on the site, it is envisaged, will be the academy.

"It will comprise initially of education, accommodation, recreation and playing field facilities", says Herbert whose hand is already on the plough!

Such is his zeal that he is already on course to Germany to seal a deal with Hamburg F/C relating to both technical and logistical support for Kotoko.

Unfolding other plans for the club, Herbert indicated that Kotoko will soon build a 75,000 seater capacity ultra modern stadium where all matches involving the club wil be played. Plans are also underway to have both radio and television stations for the club within two years to enable it to commercialise its matches, training sessions and programmes.

"As a winning team we should be able to draw above 50,000 fans to the stadium each time to watch matches. Our high standard of play with the related high attendance should make our matches competitive enough for commercialising," he stated.

With high quality play being mainly player dependent, management plans to sign on players from some leading clubs in the country. The hardworking Chairman hints however that they are approaching this move professionally and have opted to talk to club chairman instead of the targeted players.

"There are seasoned players in the domestic league whose presence in Kotoko should make the team ‘tick’ and management will spend good sums of money to acquire the services of some them next year".

How does all these get funded? Is fabulous Asante Kotoko that fabulously rich?

"It is alright to have plans and dreams," says Herbert with a smile and adds "but back in the land of reality money has to be found to fund vision."

To this end management is working on four major areas to ensure capitalisation. One such is the internal Kotoko raffle via the scratch card, which is hoped to generate billions. The ‘Collect, Scratch & Win’ programme consists of selling scratch cards in denominations of 500 cedis, 1,000 cedis and 2,000 cedis, with the hope of realising total more than 280 million cedis.

Membership drive is also being embarked upon with the re-organisation of the ‘Circles’ (the supporters union) to get enough patronage at matches, while a Kotoko lottery initiative is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Finance.

Herbert is used to meeting the public often wearing Kotoko’s attire. The idea, aside of pride and prestige, is to advertise the high quality kits of the club currently being merchandised by selected shops. Patronage of these kits by the over 200,000 spectators should leave Kotoko with substantial funds.

Already it is envisaged that the effort of the Herbert management with the support of some club faithfuls their turnover to1.48 billion cedis within the last six months. This, in line with the new measures being pursued, is anticipated to reach two billion cedis by the end of the year. Turnover for next year is expected to hit the five billion-Cedi mark.

"The new initiatives which are being implemented now should make Asante Kotoko self funding by the close of next year", he’d said. "I should succeed in this by next year. Or else I call it quits," Herbert who is known for his success at almost anything he has put his hand to, said.

He believes that for sports to grow speedily and to look truly professional, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the GFA in particular must become innovative. He thinks there are so many options open to the FA to access funds for itself and clubs to help minimise the financial burdens currently on clubs shoulders.

"Within our short stay in office we’ve placed Asante Kotoko on the Internet while the FA for all these years is yet to advertise a website address" the Kotoko chairman says in disblief and thinks the FA could win more sponsorship for the domestic league the than it is doing.

"GFA must also be transparent", Herbert said, deploring the present mode of balloting for league fixtures and opting for a live television ballot. Similarly, he is of the opinion that the method for selecting of referees must be looked at. "It isn’t satisfactory", he added.

Herbert also sees it needful for club administrators today to have some appreciable level of managerial skills to enhance their effectiveness in the daunting task that engages them. Clubs, he said, cannot depend on the meagre gate proceeds they receive at league centres any longer and a way out must be found.

Herbert has a load of ideas he thinks can make Ghana football more vibrant and successful. But for now his concern is Kotoko which he hopes to turn into a "very successful, a very rich and a highly professional club." I have no doubt he will succeed.

GRi…/