AshantiGold 04 chief executive Edward Kwasi Akuoko has identified poor away performances and reports of disagreements within the technical team as the reasons behind the dismissal of Karim Zito and his assistants.

Akuoko said the club expected consistency, despite being newly promoted, and would not use that status as justification for lowering its ambitions.

Explaining management’s decision, he stressed that the demand was for reliable results rather than an immediate challenge for the league title.

“As a serious club, you always want to win. I’m not a leader who always lowers expectations just because we are a newly promoted side,” Akuoko said.

“We are not saying we have to win the league at all costs, but we simply want consistent results. Our away performances have been poor.”

His comments place the team’s struggles away from home at the centre of management’s concerns, with the chief executive making clear that promotion had not reduced expectations of the coaching staff.

Akuoko also disclosed that he had received reports suggesting relations within Zito’s technical team had deteriorated.

“The second reason is that, personally, I received reports that the technical team led by Karim Zito were not on good terms, and that could be affecting our results,” he explained.

The chief executive presented the reported disagreements as a possible factor in the team’s performances, rather than establishing a direct link between the alleged friction and individual results.

His explanation points to two concerns behind the decision: the standard of performances on the road and whether the coaches were working effectively together.

For Akuoko, the distinction is between expecting a newly promoted club to win the championship and requiring it to produce consistent results.

He maintained that AshantiGold’s immediate expectations were measured, but that poor away displays and concerns about technical harmony had ultimately prompted management’s intervention.

By: Addy Kennedy Edem