RTU Sign On Razak, Malik

After almost three years absence from the local league, Coach Abdul Razak, former trainer of Asante Kotoko, makes a return to the Ghanaian soccer premiership, not with the “red devils” though, but with Real Tamale United.

The Northern club has contracted Razak, Africa's best player in 1978, for the next two soccer seasons as part of the club's aggressive plans to capture the top spot in the league within three years.

The Board Secretary of RTU, told the Daily Graphic that former Technical Director of the Porcupine Warriors, Malik Jabir, had also been hired as the new General Manager.

The club would not divulge the details of the contracts, but they are believed to be renewable, subject to good performance.

The club has also received a major boost from its traditional sponsors, Wienco, upping this year's sponsorship package from ¢540 million to ¢900 million.

Under the new deal, RTU would be entitled to ¢75 million annually to cater for players' salaries, transport to and from match venues and all other general expenses.

In addition to the package, Wienco will also be responsible for the salaries of the coach and the general manager.

The deal has been signed for an initial one year but it is subject to renewal for the next five years.

Mr Alhassan-Abu said as part of the plans, RTU intended to be within the top three clubs after this year's soccer season, graduate to become the runner-up to the champions next year and then capture the top spot in the third year.

Razak won the premier league title for Kotoko in 2003 after nine years of “drought” in his first season with the club but had to rejoin his former club, Stade Malian, in Mali, after some disagreements with the Kotoko management.