Sports News of Friday, 3 April 2020

Source: ghanaguardian.com

Yacouba better than Mane - Agent

Kotoko striker Sogne Yacouba Kotoko striker Sogne Yacouba

The manager Sogne Yacouba has launched scathing remarks on Asante Kotoko, saying the 50-year-old club of Asanteman lacks the "requisite knowledge needed to manage players".

Gabriel Antwi's remarks come after the end of relationship between the club and Yacouba.

He believes the club's inability to meet the 150,000 demand for contract extension smacks of incompetencies, since the could have benefited enormously from the player.

"We had a discussion with the management of Asante kotoko and resolved that Yacouba will not renew his contract with the club because the Executive Chairman Dr Kwame Kyei said he couldn't meet our demands of $150,000." The outspoken Antwi told Ash FM on Thursday.

Antwi, who is known in public as Alhaji, placed his Bukinabe import as better than Senegal and Liverpool star Sadio Mane.

"There is nobody in Ghana who can tell me Sadio Mane of Liverpool is a better footballer than my player, Songne Yacouba."

"I am of the firm conviction that Songne Yacouba is a better footballer than Sadio Mane."

"Ask journalists which striker in Ghana, if there is any player in the league with the ability to pull crowd to the stadium than Yacouba?

"So I can irrevocably say Yacouba is the best striker in Ghana."

He lamented on treatment meted out to the player in the early stage of the season, which led to the player turning down several contract extensions talks with the club.

"Songne Yacouba's chances of playing for Kotoko is 50-50," he said.

"I was shocked Asante Kotoko chose to ostracise Yacouba in crunch duels against Etoile du Sahel and San Pedro.Prudently, there is no coach who will bench a prolific striker like Songne Yacouba.

"Management of Asante Kotoko are bereft of the requisite knowledge needed to manage players. How they conducted themselves in the whole Yacouba brouhaha was questionable."

Songne Yacouba's contract expired on Thursday, after two-years of service at Kotoko.