Former Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town Spurs head coach Ernst Middendorp has reacted to reports linking him with a return to Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko.
The German is currently unattached after leaving his role as the sporting director at Durban City FC in February. That puts him in the market for potential suitors interested in his services as a head coach or in any other technical position.
The 67-year-old has been controversial in his jobs in the last few years. He carved himself an unwanted reputation after allowing Mamelodi Sundowns to sensationally overtake Chiefs on the last day of the 2019/2020 league title race.
He then went on to guide Cape Town Spurs to relegation from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the third tier. The well-travelled veteran coach then reportedly clashed with Gavin Hunt at Durban City, leading to the current Stellenbosch FC coach’s departure.
But still, Middendorp remains not short of suitors, and now rumours have emerged that he is a wanted man in Ghana. The West African country is not new to him; he has previously worked there.
MIDDENDORP ON RETURNING TO GHANA FOR ANOTHER ASANTE KOTOKO GIG
He was the Asante Kotoko coach between 2000 and 2002 and was also in charge of Hearts of Oak in a three-month stint in 2004. Known as a nomad, Middendorp is now being linked with Asante Kotoko, this time to take up a technical director role.
In response to rumours about joining Asante Kotoko, Middendorp didn’t just open the door—he practically rolled out the red carpet for the club, suggesting a return would be both “interesting” and “advisable.”
Asked by a fan on LinkedIn if there is any truth in the Ghanaian media that he is headed to Asante Kotoko, Middendrop responded, “It would be interesting, probably advisable.”
Previously a formidable force in African football with two CAF Champions League crowns, Asante Kotoko have struggled to make their mark in continental football in recent years.
They are currently ninth in the 18-team Ghanaian Premier League table with six games to go before the campaign ends. Should Middendorp become their technical director, he would have a huge task to help the 25-time record Ghanaian champions reclaim their status as a domestic and continental powerhouse.
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