Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko has entered into a partnership deal with English side Southampton, the club announced on Tuesday.
The Porcupine Warriors becomes the first club in Africa to have a professional partnership with the Saints.
The partnership will see Southampton provide technical and non-technical support to Asante Kotoko in the area of youth development, coaching, marketing among others to ensure the development of the club.
In a statement from the English side, “The partnership will include Academy staff exchange visits between the UK and Ghana, as well as opportunities for Asante Kotoko’s young players to attend annual UK Player Development camps and experience the Southampton Academy methodology first-hand, when travel corridors open up and it is safe to travel”.
Southampton will also support the development of Asante Kotoko’s commercial and operational strategy through collaborating on key projects.
“This partnership enables us to plug Asante Kotoko into Southampton in such a way that Kotoko functions like Southampton. Kotoko would have everything Southampton has but to a level that reflects our different budgets. I believe that with the expertise and resources available at Southampton, we can tap into this and develop our setup to look and feel professional like Saints.”, Asante Kotoko’s CEO, Nana Yaw Amponsah said after sealing the partnership.
“During these challenging times we’re delighted to have agreed a long-term partnership to work with Asante Kotoko. Nana Yaw has a clear vision for Asante Kotoko to be a self-sustainable football club both on and off the pitch. We look forward to working with him and his team to support their development”, Mark Abrahams, Director of Business and Community Development mentioned on the partnership deal with the Ghanaian side.
This is Asante Kotoko’s second partnership with an English side in the club’s history after signing a similar deal with Sunderland under Dr K.K Sarpong’s era.