Asante Kotoko coach Mariano Barreto
• Following the defeat to Hearts on Sunday, there have been rumors that Barreto has been sacked
• Management of Asante Kotoko have rubbished rumors that he has been sacked
• Kotoko are second on the league with 56 points
Kumasi Asante Kotoko have dispelled rumors that head coach Mariano Barreto has been relieved of his post.
Following the defeat to Hearts of Oak in the Super Clash last Sunday, there have been widespread reports that Barreto has been fired by Kotoko.
But in a post on social media, David Obeng Nyarko, the Communications Director of the club said that Barreto remains the head coach of Asante Kotoko.
He described the reports as misleading and said management has not held any talks on the future of Mariano Barreto.
“Kindly disregard misleading reports indicating that our head coach Mariano Barreto has been sacked from training. Coach Barreto is still at post discharging his duties accordingly and he has the full support of management,” he said.
Barreto has come under intense attack following the tactics he deployed in the game against Accra Hearts of Oak.
Veteran journalist Kwabena Yeboah in an interview with Hello FM blamed the defeat on Barreto’s tactics.
He said that the decision to play Fabio Gama as a striker and start Adomako affected the team’s performance.
“Before the game, I said that there was no way Kotoko could beat Hearts and the reason is that, Hearts have been consistent in their last eight matches in terms of personnel as opposed to Kotoko who continued tinkering. I don’t know what is wrong with the team but Barreto kept tinkering with the team. Any team that does well is a team you can easily define. Any team that you can’t name their first eleven off-head is not in a good shape.
“With Kotoko, Barreto keeps changing the team. You find Abalora in the post and the next time it’s Baah, I don’t understand. You have Imoro who was so consistent for Kotoko, for which reason he even gained invitation to the national team and then he is missing. Apau comes on and Nettey plays some game and he is dropped. I don’t understand.
“Gama for instance is an absolutely brilliant offensive midfielder. He is brilliant in the heart of midfield and then suddenly in the last two games, you are trying to play him as a false nine. It does not work like that. Hearts were brilliant but Barreto made it very easy. The selection he came up with, the deployment of the players., I don’t understand.
“For example, Adomako has not been playing for Kotoko throughout the season and then he plays in one FA Cup and scores and suddenly in a massive game against Hearts, you play Adomako. He was missing completely. He spent too much time on the field of play. He has potential but you don’t throw him in a game like this. Okrah and Kumi should have come on earlier,” he said.