Ghana Football Association boss Kwesi Nyantakyi is on record as saying that he would love to see the end of the duo monopoly of the national soccer league by Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak. The two clubs have between them won 43 of the 50 championships and football purists are all yearning to see a new face on the league trophy for a change.

If the trend in the ongoing 2009-2010 season is maintained with both Kotoko and Hearts continuing to struggle for revival, then we are likely to see a new kid on the bloc since Goldfields broke the jinx in the mid nineties incredibly winning the league thrice on the trot; 1994, 1995, 1996.

The comparatively new entrants Kessben, only in their third season in the premiership, have established a blistering lead with 18 points followed by Arsenals on 14 points. Ashgold, Heart of Lions and Liberty Professionals follow in that order with 13 points apiece.Kessben has an interesting history. The club is owned by Kwabena Kesse, a former board member of Kumasi Asante Kotoko who fell out with the team about five years ago and he decided to go solo. Kesse has built a strong team and constructed a mini stadium at Abramkese, a Kumasi suburb. There is every indication that the young businessman is anxious to prove a point and this is where football historians would like to sound a note of caution.

It is on record that either by fate or coincidence any team within Ashanti that tries to be an offshoot of Asante Kotoko does not survive long enough. It started from living legend C.K.Gyamfi in1954 when he broke away from Kotoko to form a rival team, Great Ashanti. There had been a misunderstanding between Gyamfi and Kotoko management about a proposed Easter match between Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at Abetifi, Kwahu. Kotoko management had at the last minute, declined to honour the match and Gyamfi, being the captain, felt Kwahu fans in Easter mood would be disappointed  He quickly arranged  a team (MY ELEVEN) comprising  players from Evergreens and some players of Kotoko. The match turned out to be a fiasco, fans rioted when they realised that it was not a full Kotoko side.

Gyamfi was seriously reprimanded by Kotoko management and he in turn quit the club and formed a rival team, Great Ashanti. Ironically Gyamfi later on quit Great Ashanti and featured for Hearts of Oak from where he was trained to become one of the most successful Ghanaian football coaches. Great Ashanti became a powerful team noted for their skillful man to man passes and immaculate white jerseys to match. Since their entry into the national league in the 1961-62 season, they were always in the top brackets till the 1969 season when they were affected by a ministerial fiat that cut the number of competing clubs from 20 to 12.Great Ashanti, together with Tema Hurricanes, Obuasi Adansiman, Agona Fankobaa, Accra Standfast, Ho Mighty Eagles, Akim United and Ho sunset lost their first division status.

That was the end of Great Ashanti and if you ask the Kotoko faithful he won’t hide his belief that the club had been swallowed by the spirits of the porcupine. Come  1987 and  Charles Allen Gyimah who had played a pivotal role in the Yaw Bawuah administration that won several cups including the Africa Cup in 1983, quit Asante Kotoko to form a rival national league club, Kumapim Stars, based at Asante Mampong. Murmurs from Kotoko circles that Kumapim was the appellation of Asante Kotoko and should not be used, fell on deaf ears. Kumapim Stars also became a strong force. They reached their peak in 1992 by placing 4^th in the league table, but crashed out the following season not to be heard of again. Six years later, another aggrieved Kotoko official George Aduse Poku (Georgido) who had once served as chairman quit the club and took over the management of Swedru All Blacks. He took a couple of Kotoko players along. In a whirlwind fashion, he made the Swedru club a strong force and when they beat Asante Kotoko 2-0 in the second round of the league at Swedru on May 31; it was real carnival in town.

All Blacks placed seventh in the league. It was a short lived success. All Blacks faced relegation the following season placing last but one from the bottom ahead of Afienya.In the process Kotoko beat them both home and way in the league 3-1, 1-0 respectively. Indeed, the Swedru match on July 7 1999 witnessed a lot of crowd violence after the match and the Police had to use teargas to control the crowd. No such violent acts have been seen so far in matches between Kessben and Kotoko and football historians are waiting to see how far Kessben will succeed in eclipsing fabulous Asante Kotoko in their Ashanti football kingdom.

Herbert Mensah also tried to change the status quo when after his turbulent sojourn with Kotoko, he took along with him die- hard Kotoko football administrator George Amoako to manage city rivals, King Faisal Babies, but the deal could not last.  Herbert was eventually shown the exit by club owner Alhaji Grunsah and George Amoako returned to his natural habitat.

Surely the football world is interesting Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.