Hearts, Kotoko Fight Over Sumaila

Rashid Sumaila

Traditional giants Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, are locked up in a fierce battle for Ebusua Dwarfs’ top defender, Rashid Sumaila, introducing an interesting dimension to the local transfer brouhaha.

Less than two months to the start of the 2012/13 Glo Premier League season, Kotoko are bent on completing their ambitious recruitment drive for the new season with the high profile signing of the rising star, while Hearts desperately seek to outwit their sworn rivals to impress their fans who remain apprehensive of the club’s failure to make any major signings so far.

Last Wednesday, a spokesman of Dwarfs, Mr John Ansah, confirmed that both clubs had expressed interest in the player but it was not yet known which side would win the battle.

Sumaila, PLB Best Defender for the 2010/11 season, recently returned from a botched trip to Morocco and that has empowered Dwarfs to transfer him to the club of his choice.

According to Mr Ansah, though Dwarfs received letters from Kotoko and Hearts prior to the player’s departure to Morooco, the club decided to consider the foreign invitation first mainly to calm down tension.

And having satisfied the player’s curiosity for the foreign adventure which did not go too well in terms of medicals, Dwarfs officials are ready to trade him off for the higher bidder between the two glamorous clubs.

“Now we are ready for business and so Hearts and Kotoko can put their cards on the table,” he revealed.

So far, Sumaila, who was a key member of the Black Meteors squad which won the All Africa Games in Maputo last year, has not publicly declared his intentions, but it will not be surprising to see him don the red colours due to his affinity with former Kotoko coach, Maxwell Konadu, who doubles as the assistant coach of the Black Stars, with whom he has also had a stint before.

But beyond the monetary considerations, Mr Ansah pointed out that Dwarfs would ensure that the negotiation would be in the supreme interest of the player.