Soccer News of Monday, 7 June 2004

Source: Joy Online

Kotoko House Cleaning Affects Tierro

Former Liberty Professionals striker William Tierro will no longer be part of Asante Kotoko?s campaign this season.

He will be put on loan and the announcement to that effect is expected to be made by the Porcupine warriors latest by Wednesday, JoySports can confirm.

Tierro who moved to Kotoko this season for a whopping ?250million for a 1year loan deal has failed to impress new coach Hans Dieter Schmidt.

The final page of his lacklustre term at Kotoko seems to have been written in the game against UUM of Algiers when Yusif Chibsah set him up in the closing stages of the game.

From the inside of the penalty area, Tiero blasted the ball high and above the posts.

He would have kept Kotoko in the African champions league if he had scored from that opportunity.

So Tierro is on his way out of Kotoko. But he is not alone.

Former star midfielder Edmund Owusu is also on the loan list.

He played a major role in Kotoko?s title winning feat last season but has since struggled to fit into the new set up with the arrival of Kwaku Essien.

Another player whose services will not be needed by Kotoko this season is Kojo Poku jnr. who joined the porcupine warriors from Bofoakwa Tano last season.

Poku has been more of a benchwarmer but has delivered every time he has come on for Kotoko. It now appears he will not even have space on the bench.

Aside the three players who are on loan, ten former regulars of the club have been put on transfer.

Some of the names will not surprise you. Veteran defender Frank Amankwah, Joe Okyere, Frank Asowah, Kwaku Duah and Francis Aggrey only add to Kotoko?s huge wage bill because they hardly get any games.

But Cameroonian Mbola Sandje, a big money import has also been told he no longer has a shirt with the Kotoko crest on it.

Same goes for Joe Louis. A diminutive winger who was an ever present in the Kotoko line up four seasons ago. Former Mine Stars striker Stephen Owusu has also been put on transfer.

Kotoko has over 45 players in its fold but new manager Hans Dieter Schmidt wants to work with a smaller size staff.