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6 things you need to know about Kotoko’s interim coach

Pulse Sports writer, Thomas Freeman Yeboah takes you through 6 things you need to know about Michael Osei, the caretaker coach of Kotoko.

Pulse Sports has listed 6 things you might not know about Osei, as he starts his role at Asante Kotoko coach.

True son of Kumasi

Michael Osei is a born and bred Kumasi guy. He was born at Asawase a suburb of Kumasi and started his colts football at Anokye Stars, before joining Neoplan Stars, both in Kumasi. He was recommended to Okwawu United by Tony Yeboah, a former Black Stars striker and the first African to win the top-scorer of the Bundesliga, before he returned to Kumasi to play for Asante Kotoko.

Won league as player and coach of Kotoko

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Few people have had the opportunity to win the league as a player and as a coach for Kumasi Asante Kotoko. Michael Osei joined Kumasi Asante Kotoko in 1989 from Okwawu United. He won the league in 1991 and 1992 for the Kumasi giants, before moving to abroad to seek greener pastures. When he returned to Kotoko in the 2013-14 season as the assistant coach, he helped them to win a double of league and FA Cup, something that had never happened to the club, despite a rich history. The likes of Ibrahim Sunday, Malik Jabir, Maxwell, etc are some of the people to have attained this feat.

A former Black Stars player

Michael Osei is an ex-Black Stars player. He played in attacking midfielder position. Burkhard Ziese, the German had faith in him and selected Michael Osei for most of the qualifying games for the 1992 AFCON staged in Senegal. It was at the Black Stars that he played with the likes of Opoku Nti, Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah, his former Owawu United team mate, but missed out on 1992 he tournament. That could be attributed to the late replacement of Zurkhard Ziese by his compatriot Otto Pfister for the tournament proper.

Michael Osei, the lucky coach

Most Kotoko faithful believes Osei is a lucky coach because he hardly lose matches, when he sits on the bench of Kotoko as the main man. Double had eluded the Porcupine Warriors in the anal of the club and had on several occasions missed the opportunity to realize that enviable feat. However when Didi Dramani, the Kotoko head coach at the time was engaged by the Black Stars to scout opponents ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Mickey was given the mantle to lead the club in the final of the FA Cup and he delivered the good by edging Inter Allies under an experienced coach Herbert Addo 2-1 in his first season. The victory propelled Kotoko to the historic double of league and FA Cup. In 2015, he was instrumental in beating them all to win the GHALCA 6, a pre-season tournament, after most of regulars in the team left to Libya with the head coach David Duncan to play an invitational game. Even before his heroic moment at Kotoko, he was the assistant coach of New Edubiase when the club won their historic FA Cup title in 2012.

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Messi the finest of his generation, Maradona the greatest of all-time

Michael is in love with the style of play of these two Argentines: Messi and Maradoan. He believes Lionel Messi is the finest player in his generation. However, Diego Maradona is the greatest player of all time. He thinks there have been so many greats like Pele, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, etc, but he didn’t watch them play, but having watched Maradona, he thinks he is the greatest of all-time.

Played alongside Jurgen Klopp

Michael Osei played with Jurgen Klopp at Mainz 05. His first destination after leaving Kotoko was Austria, before moving to Germany to play for Mainz. That was where he had an encounter with Klopp, who is currently the head coach of Liverpool. The German was very successful with Dortmund winning the league twice and finished 2 in the UEFA Champions League in the 2012-2013 season, before joining he Anfield outfit

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