Annan: We play for Kotoko, not coaches

The skipper of Asante Kotoko, Felix Annan, says the players are looking forward to life after Coach Kjetil Zachariassen, as the new Premier League season commences.

Barely four weeks to the start of the new season, the Porcupine Warriors are yet to name a substantive coach after their Norwegian trainer was axed out of the dugout following a series of unimpressive outings during their continental club competition.

However, the skipper said his departure would not affect their chances in the league as they are sure the problem will be fixed before the league starts.

According to him the playing body does not play for any particular coach but for the club, therefore the dismissal of any coach would not impact negatively on their performance on the pitch.

In an interview with the Graphic Sports over the weekend, the 25-year-old said they were committed to winning the league this season and that was what they are focusing on now.

"I have always said that as a player you always have to play for the badge, you don’t have to play because of a particular coach. You signed a contract with Kotoko so you just have to do your job for the club irrespective of who is there you have to do your job”, he said.

The Porcupine Warriors shot stopper said the caretaker coaches who are now handling the club have the competence to do so but required the support of the playing body to succeed.

"There have subsequently been caretaker coaches appointed so we have to give them the needed respect as players so we can move forward".

He admitted that as players it wasn’t their job to determine who coaches the team but theirs' was to play while management took care of that aspect and promised their readiness to work with whoever got the nod as a coach of the club.

"I don’t know the future, I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. For me I have always said that you can’t say because the coach is not there you are not going to play. We have to play because we are players and we have contracts and even though there is no coach now it is not our job.

“Our job is to play for the club. It is not our job as players to appoint coaches, so right now, whoever has been appointed to take care of the club, we'll take that person as our coach and work hard so we achieve our aim of winning and ultimately, being champions.” Read Full Story