Kumasi Asante Kotoko which was founded on August 31, 1935 marked their 85th anniversary on Monday.
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Meet Kwasi Kuma: The founder of Asante Kotoko
Kwasi Kuma was the founder of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, which is regarded as the most successful club in the annal of Ghanaian football, having won 23 league titles, nine FA Cup and two Africa Champions Cup (now the Champions League).
Kwasi Kuma
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Kwasi Kuma, a driver in Accra who hails from the Ashanti Region after returning from the capital got inspired to form Asante Kotoko after watching a game between Hearts of Oak and Standfast in 1924.
Kwasi Kuma named his club Rainbow FC by taking inspiration from Hearts of Oak rainbow colours, before after several change of names Asante Kotoko was finally settled on.
It was in the course of time that the team was taken over by Manhyia Palace and became a symbolic representation of the people of Ashanti
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The Porcupine Warriors on their anniversary paid a glowing tribute to Kwasi Kuma by sharing his picture via their official Twitter handle.
READ MORE: Asante Kotoko's best XI of all-time
Kwasi Kuma with Ashanti United FC
Pulse Ghana
Read his narration below
Kwasi Kuma was a native of Nyankyereneaase near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, a driver to an English man and Military officer, Colonel Ross.
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There was a man called Mr. Kwasi Kumah, a driver in the capital city, Accra. He was the personal driver to Colonel Ross, the head of the Military in the 1930's. The Colonel was very passionate about football even before he came to Ghana from the UK and he was an Arsenal fan.
Though the AME Zion church was organizing some football matches in the Ashanti Kingdom, it was still not enough to be called a football team.
In 1924, Opanin Kwasi Kuma drove the Colonel to go and watch a match between Accra Hearts of OaK and Standfast FC for the 'Guggisberg Shield//Cup' where Hearts of Oak won the match by 2-1.
Kwasi Kuma upon coming to Kumasi for the Christmas celebration decided to also form a football club with his 'electrician' friend called Lawrence Yaw Asamoah to replicate what he saw in Accra when he was with the Colonel.
Before he came to Kumasi for the holidays, he told his boss that he wanted to establish a football club in his hometown so the Colonel also gave him jerseys for that exercise.
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He gathered the area boys in the Kumasi metropolis and gradudally formed a football club which he named Kumasi Rainbow FC in 1924 because, Accra Hearts of Oak, the club he had admired in the capital city had the rainbow colours in their flag.
So after the club had undergone several changes for more than 10 years, The 'Achepemehene' ( A sub-chief in the Ashanti Kingdom) appealed to Nana Agyeman Prempeh, the ruler to form a football club so they can use the club to showcase the emblem of the Ashanti Kingdom because there were no wars for them to showcase their great power.
So they decided to use Kwasi Kuma's Kumasi Rainbow FC which was now called Mighty Atoms to form a club for the Asante state.
So on Friday, August 31, 1935, the club was renamed from Mighty Atoms to Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC.
The following people were appointed to led the new club Asante Kotoko in 1935.President, Mr. James Darkwa, Mr. John Darkwa- Treasurer, Mr. John S.K Osei- Secretary and first coach Teacher Frimpong.
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