Kotoko’s Public Relations Office has reacted strongly to a publication by Accra Hearts of Oak’s website, which describes Ghana’s most revered club, Asante Kotoko as “Yaanom” and the notable Baba Yara Sports Stadium as “Yaanom Stadium”.
Kotoko's PR outfit says, that description is not only uncomplimentary and derogatory but also irreverent, especially coming on Hearts of Oak’s official website.
The Hearts website made that reference to Kotoko and the national stadium when they published the 2014/15 First Capital Plus Premier League fixtures.
Reacting to the publication, Kwaku Ahenkorah, the in-coming Communications Manager of Kotoko said the two descriptions are in bad taste.
He wondered why at the time that, Kotoko was working hard to position its brand well, the Hearts website would stoop so low to drag Kotoko’s name into such unwarranted disrepute.
“We have always been accused of not marketing our clubs. As a result, we have not earned the right to criticize the GFA or PLB for not doing well to improve the attractiveness of the Premier League. We are doing our best at Kotoko but this attempt by the Hearts website to deride us on their platform is not only unethical but also shameful” he said.
“Managers of the Hearts website have lost touch with reality. The use of “Yaanom” to represent Kotoko in the league fixtures and “Yaanom Stadium” to represent the national stadium is unacceptable. It’s street football language and that's where it must remain: the streets.
“In any case, which co-corporate institution would want to associate itself with this unprofessional attitude being displayed by the Hearts website, when what they be should be doing is positioning itself well to attract the best of corporate sponsorship” asked Ahenkorah.
“If they want to destroy their corporate image using their website, they should stick to that. They can do it. They should however not draw Kotoko into that pity of unethical behaviour.
"We humbly advise them to do the proper thing because that platform is too big to be used to perpetuate such uncontrolled fanaticism”.
Source: asantekotokosc.com