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After Maxwell Konadu’s firing, Johnson Smith was asked to temporarily guide the players.
It must be said that he has done a splendid job so far, taking Kotoko to the top of the rankings.
Perhaps his biggest moment was against former club Karela United, where he broke his long-standing record at Crosby Awuah Memorial Park with the Porcupine Warriors.
Just under 24 hours later, Asante Kotoko informed the Ghana Football Association of his appointment of Abdul Gazale as the team’s permanent head coach. Smith has returned to the role of assistant coach.
A section of Kotoko’s fans were not very happy with the decision, as under Smith, Kotoko lost only once in nine league games (5 wins, 3 losses, 1 loss).
Why switch to a coach who has turned Kotoko into a title contender in no time? Well, the club had a good reason for making that decision.
The answer can be found in Article 12 of the GFA Club Licensing Regulations, which focuses on the personnel and administrative criteria for a Premier League club to maintain its license.
According to Article 12.1 (a), each Ghana Premier League club must have a head coach with a minimum of a CAF A coach license or its equivalent.
If an expat is looking to lead a GPL team, they must have a UEFA A coaching license or better.
Smith sadly holds the CAF B Coaching License, which is only sufficient to be an assistant coach for a GPL club.
He was only allowed to be an interim head coach due to the firing of Maxwell Konadu and his interim appointment expired on January 22, 2021, as stated by the GFA.
Karela’s former boss has shown he has the ability despite lacking qualification. Whether Gazale uses his experience extensively will be another topic to be discussed in the future.
