Former Asante Kotoko coach, Seydou Zerbo, has leveled serious accusations against former assistant coach Abdulai Gazale and goalkeepers’ trainer Issah Najahu.
In a candid radio interview, the Burkinabe manager alleged that the duo actively worked to undermine his coaching efforts during the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League campaign, which ultimately led to his exit from the club.
Zerbo strongly believes that the Ghanaian technical bench duo acted as “enemies of progress” and conspired to orchestrate his downfall. According to him, they deliberately misinterpreted information and communicated false messages to the playing squad during his tenure at the helm.
During the interview with Kumasi-based radio Fox FM, Zerbo addressed the communication aspect during his time at Kotoko. He stated that while communication was a bit complicated initially, he had assistance from Moise Pouaty, who translated for him, and later physical trainer Nasim Islam, who arrived from Algeria and also facilitated communication as he spoke English. This ensured that communication with the players went smoothly, and there were no issues in that regard.
“But the biggest problem I faced at Kotoko was Abdulai Gazale and Issah Najahu who did not accept my arrival at all. They did everything to make sure I fail. They are enemies of progress who plotted my downfall. They spent their time to make things difficult for me and Islam Nazim at Kotoko.”
However, the major challenge for Zerbo at Kotoko came from Abdulai Gazale and Issah Najahu. He asserted that these two individuals vehemently opposed his appointment and made concerted efforts to ensure his failure. Zerbo accused them of intentionally misleading the players by providing conflicting information when he asked them to relay messages.
“When I tell them (Gazale and Najahu) something to tell the players, they intentionally tell the players different things entirely. They were not professional at all in my opinion.”
In his opinion, Gazale and Najahu’s behavior was unprofessional and contributed to the difficulties he faced during his time with the club. These revelations shed light on the internal issues within the coaching staff during Seydou Zerbo’s tenure at Asante Kotoko.
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