Asante Kotoko’s Sarfo Duku Defends Player Sales as Key Revenue Strategy Amid Financial Struggles

Communications Director of Asante Kotoko, Sarfo Duku, has opened up about the club’s increasing reliance on player transfers as a major source of revenue, citing financial constraints and a lack of sponsorship support in Ghanaian football.

His comments come in the wake of the recent transfer of forward Albert Amoah to Libyan giants Al Ahli Benghazi, a move that has generated mixed reactions from supporters and pundits. Amoah’s departure, after just six league appearances in the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season, has led some fans to question the club’s long-term ambitions and timing of the sale.

Addressing the concerns in an interview with Luv FM, Duku defended the club’s decision, insisting that economic realities have forced Kotoko and other Ghanaian clubs to adopt a more business-oriented approach to football management.

“Let me be frank with you that the only motivation left in our game today is to get opportunity to sell one or two players outside; otherwise, a time will come that clubs will have to beg to raise funds,”
he stated.

Duku lamented the poor revenue generation from match days and the lack of sponsorship deals, adding that these challenges make player transfers one of the few viable financial lifelines available to clubs.

“The matches are not fetching us money. Sponsors are not coming because of economic reasons — and so who do we blame? If opportunity comes, and Kotoko has to be run, why not?”
he quizzed.

The sale of Albert Amoah came on the heels of Kotoko’s 5-1 defeat to Wydad Athletic Club in Morocco — a result that ended their continental campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Reflecting on the setback, Duku admitted that the club’s current financial limitations make it difficult to compete at the highest level on the continent.

“If the aim is to win continental trophies, I don’t think we are there yet because we are not well resourced. Look at how their (Wydad’s) fans were organized yesterday,”
he added.

Despite the criticism, Duku reaffirmed Kotoko’s commitment to sustainability, stressing that the club’s transfer strategy is a necessary step toward building a financially stable future in the absence of major investment.