Football analyst Kojo Addae Mensah says Eric Tinklers departure from Asante Kotoko after just two months in charge did not come as a surprise, insisting he had anticipated difficulties for the South African coach.
Tinkler left the club following Kotokos shock 1-0 defeat by 10-man Aduana FC in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday.
Kotoko confirmed the departure in a statement, saying they had agreed to the request of its Head Coach, Eric Tinkler, to be released from his contract with the Club effective immediately for personal reasons.
Speaking to Luv FM, Addae Mensah said he had predicted that Tinkler could struggle to adapt to the Ghanaian football environment, particularly because of differences in infrastructure and playing surfaces between Ghana and South Africa.
When Tinkler was appointed, I said he is going to have a cultural shock. By the time he settles, we probably will be off pace to be able to win this title, Addae Mensah said.
The former Asante Kotoko columnist said his assessment was based partly on his experiences covering the club, including trips to South Africa where Kotoko trained at school facilities.
I was not surprised at all. I said, there you go, because in South Africa, even primary school pitches are top notch, he added.
Addae Mensah recalled how Kotoko would train at school grounds during their visits to South Africa.
I had this time when I was deep in Kotoko, anytime we go down to South Africa, we were training on pitches for schools, with flood lights and everything, he said.
He believes the difficulties Tinkler faced emerged much earlier than he had anticipated.
So honestly speaking, it has come earlier than I expected. It hasn’t come as a shock to me at all because he’s going to have cultural shock, Addae Mensah stated.
Tinkler’s short spell at Kotoko produced mixed results. He won just one of the club’s first four Ghana Premier League matches, while he also guided the Porcupine Warriors to victory over rivals Hearts of Oak in the 2026 Democracy Cup, winning the match on penalties.
His departure leaves Kotoko searching for a new head coach as the club seeks to stabilise its technical direction early in the 2026/27 season.
