Kotoko to lose Agyemang Badu & Samuel Inkoom
Posted by on April 20, 2009 at 10:21 am in Football, Sports
Kotoko midfielder, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu is set to join Spanish side, Recreativo Huelvo, Today sports has gathered. The former Berekum Arsenal and national team star is expected to leave by the end of the current European league. Although Agyemang Badu was purchased by Kotoko at the beginning of the season, he has played only two matches for Kotoko. That was against Accra Hearts of Oak and Tema Youth.
He returned from the Championship of Africa tournament in Cote D’Ivoire injured and has since not featured for Kotoko, nursing his injury.
He will be joining the Spanish division one side in the pre-training tour in Europe. According to official club website, Agyemang Badu was snapped up by the Spanish side during the African Youth championship in Rwanda early this year.
And although many other European teams sought for the signature of the Kotoko midfielder, Agyemang Badu had then committed himself to the Spanish side.
He will be the fourth Ghanaian to play in the Spanish 1st division league. The others are Sadick Adams, Daniel Opare and Rabiu Mohammed, all national youth players who are likely to be part of the Satellites team that conquered Africa in January this year.
For varied reasons however, the three Spain based players were not available for the Rwanda championship. While Opare and Rabiu were injured, Sadick was not granted permission by his Athletico Madrid team.
Agyemang Badu’s desire to play in top Spanish championship will however depend on whether Huelvo will stay in the top flight Spanish league. The team is currently at the bottom of the Spanish league.
Agyemang Badu got injured during the CHAN Championship for home based players in La Cote d’Ivoire and has since not featured for Kumasi Asante Kotoko. It is however the wish of the young international that he helped Kumasi Asante Kotoko to a respectable position before he embarked on the European stint.
Samuel Inkoom will also make his European stint at the end of European league. Currently the best full back in the country and a member of the Black Stars, Inkoom’s deal with France giant, Paris St. Germain is a done deal. Inkoom had many offers from Switzerland, Spain and other Eastern bloc, but decided to stay with the France deal, because of the possibility of improving his football.
The French have the penchant for horning the rough edges of many raw talents from the continent. Ghana soccer maestro Abedi Pele benefitted from French philosophy when he first starred for Lens and later Olympique Marseille where he helped them to win the European Club championship in 1993.
The latest beneficiary had been Michael Essien who first starred for Bastia and later Olympique Lyon. Unlike many Ghanaian players, Inkoom would not be going for trials. He has been offered an enticement fee, implying that he would be moving to the French club.
The move would further deepen the player stock of the Fabulous club, which has in recent times had its fortune plummeted and with the absence of the two, Kotoko’s woes are likely to deepen. Kotoko did not get enough replacement during the second round of the Ghanaian soccer season. The only good poaching that the club made was the purchase of Harrison Afful of Gomoa Fetteh Feyernoord Academy.