Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Kwabena Dodzi has raised concerns about the departure of head coach Karim Zito from the club.
Zito stepped down as Kotoko coach days before the Ghana Premier League showdown against their sworn-rivals, with assistant trainer Prince Yaw Owusu taking temporal charges of the team.
The match, held at the Baba Yara Stadium ended 1-0 in favour of Hearts of Oak, bringing an end to their long-term winless run against the Porcupine Warriors.
Defender Baba Adamu emerged as the hero of the match after scoring the only goal to snatch maximum points for the Phobians.
“It baffles me that Kotoko played the Hearts game without a substantive coach. Zito’s exit is a big concern. It’s no surprise that Hearts of Oak came out on topâthey delivered a top-class performance,” he told Kessben FM in an interview. “Kotoko lacked motivation, playing without a coach. For me, the players could have performed much better if they had proper guidance.”
Kotoko will travel to face Young Apostles in matchday 23 of the domestic top-flight, with victory crucial to reviving their title ambitions.
Currently, Asante Kotoko find themselves in the fifth position on the Ghana Premier League standings with 35 points, nine points behind log leaders, Medeama.