His remark follows Wednesday, June 18, 2025, when the Porcupine Warriors visited Manhyia. The club's life patron received the FA Cup trophy from the Kotoko delegation, which included the seasoned football executive.
During his tenure with the Porcupine Warriors, Mensah, the president of the Ghana Rugby Association, made a lasting impression. During his tenure as chairman of Kotoko from 1999 to 2002, he helped the team win the FA Cup but lost to Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League.
Herbert Mensah argued persuasively for Otumfuo, emphasizing that the team's leadership, not the life patron, should be the one investing in the club.
Because of Otumfuo, Kotoko is great everywhere you look. Too many people have forgotten that you are doing more than just football, even though they believe you are playing it. You embody the essence of Asanteman. You are playing for the wrong team if all you do is play football.
"Otumfuo has more ambitious goals than you can fathom. Everybody talks about Asante Kotoko and Otumfuo at the same time when I traverse the world.
Because of Otumfuo, Kotoko is great everywhere you look. Too many people have forgotten that you are doing more than just football, even though they believe you are playing it. You embody the essence of Asanteman. You are playing for the wrong team if all you do is play football.
"Otumfuo has more ambitious goals than you can fathom. Everybody talks about Asante Kotoko and Otumfuo at the same time when I traverse the world.
"You have to step aside, attend the World Club championship, and restore the honor." Otumfuo has invested, but it is not Otumfuo's responsibility to invest in Kotoko; rather, it is Kotoko's success that requires investment from those who own it. "Holding Kotoko is an honor and a privilege," he remarked.
After winning the Ghana FA Cup in the most recent season, Asante Kotoko will play in the CAF Confederation Cup the following year.
After winning the Ghana FA Cup in the most recent season, Asante Kotoko will play in the CAF Confederation Cup the following year.
Now, let us examine another significant sports update that is now generating news.
What causes Messi to skip so many Inter Miami games?
What causes Messi to skip so many Inter Miami games?
Lionel Messi, the captain of Inter Miami, participated in just 55% of the games that were available during the 2024 Major League Soccer season. Nevertheless, Messi led the team to an MLS points record and the Supporters' Shield, and he was crowned the league MVP despite his little involvement in a pink shirt.
Messi only needed 19 games, or 1,485 minutes, to demonstrate his abilities last season, scoring 20 goals and dishing out 16 assists.
Gerardo "Tata" Martino, the manager of Inter Miami at the time, had rapidly come to the conclusion that the team could rest 37-year-old Messi when needed and still make it to the postseason, which is the most crucial part of Major League Soccer.
In the past, teams have only needed to win roughly one-third of their regular-season games to advance to the playoffs, according to ESPN Research. Messi's involvement with Inter Miami has followed a similar trajectory under new head coach Javier Mascherano.
Mascherano made reference to the Concacaf Champions Cup earlier this season when he stated, "The MLS season enables you to fail in various games, the knockout phase of a continental league doesn't; it means you are out."
"However, the CCC playoffs help you get ready for the playoffs in October. Ultimately, the MLS is a lengthy season that culminates in a continental cup, where elimination stages are common, and you can not fail."
Miami has been holding onto its finest player for when it most needs him as it gets ready for the Club World Cup, which resumes on Thursday against FC Porto.
Miami has been holding onto its finest player for when it most needs him as it gets ready for the Club World Cup, which resumes on Thursday against FC Porto.
An MLS team can have a successful season without winning as many games as possible. Winning the correct games is the key. Inter Miami makes sure to play Messi in the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup, the Concacaf Champions Cup, and the Club World Cup. So are the MLS playoffs.
The MLS regular season, however? Not at all. Consistent season-long success and top position in the table do not translate into the trophy in Major League Soccer, unlike Messi's previous leagues, La Liga and Ligue 1. The top seven clubs from two divisions after the regular season automatically advance to the postseason tournament in the U.S. league's playoff format.
The MLS regular season, however? Not at all. Consistent season-long success and top position in the table do not translate into the trophy in Major League Soccer, unlike Messi's previous leagues, La Liga and Ligue 1. The top seven clubs from two divisions after the regular season automatically advance to the postseason tournament in the U.S. league's playoff format.
Slots eight and nine on each conference table play a one-game series for the final playoff position under the recently changed MLS rules. With 15 clubs in each conference, almost half of the MLS teams qualify for the postseason.
Teams that finished the season with 40–45 points were able to earn the final seeds and make it to the playoffs in the previous two years. Atlanta United just defeated D.C. United for ninth place in 2024 with 40 points, while CF Montreal finished in eighth place with just 43 points in 34 games.
Teams that finished the season with 40–45 points were able to earn the final seeds and make it to the playoffs in the previous two years. Atlanta United just defeated D.C. United for ninth place in 2024 with 40 points, while CF Montreal finished in eighth place with just 43 points in 34 games.
According to Mascherano, the structure is forgiving since teams can lose a lot of games without having a detrimental effect on their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, which is the first hurdle to success in Major League Soccer.
Atlanta United eliminated Miami, the Eastern Conference leaders and Supporters' Shield winners, in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, despite having a 10-10-14 (W-D-L) record and being the last team to qualify.
To gain home-field advantage and compete for the Supporters' Shield, the league encourages teams to finish the regular season in the top spots of the table, but once they make it to the playoffs, anything may happen.
To gain home-field advantage and compete for the Supporters' Shield, the league encourages teams to finish the regular season in the top spots of the table, but once they make it to the playoffs, anything may happen.
Fans witnessed Martino bench Messi for meaningless games in 2023, saving him for when they needed him. He missed 25% of his possible MLS regular-season games in the final ten or so games before the playoffs, not because of an injury but just to take it easy.
In the final two games of the 2024 MLS season, Martino benched Messi in the starting lineup for the playoffs. Once more, it was to rest him because Miami had already guaranteed a postseason berth, not because of an injury.
In the final two games of the 2024 MLS season, Martino benched Messi in the starting lineup for the playoffs. Once more, it was to rest him because Miami had already guaranteed a postseason berth, not because of an injury.
During those two games, he played a total of 65 minutes, conserving energy while keeping the rhythm required for the first-round playoff series against Atlanta United, in which Messi played all 270 minutes, but Miami still suffered an upset loss.
"On Friday, we decided to give the guys a break. We had players ready to go after two whole games, so it seemed reasonable to make some rotations," Martino stated before the playoffs.
"On Friday, we decided to give the guys a break. We had players ready to go after two whole games, so it seemed reasonable to make some rotations," Martino stated before the playoffs.
"We succeeded in accomplishing our two goals. The first was to allow players to recover, and the second was to win the game since, from a motivating perspective, it implies breaking the points record.
And the trend is still present in 2025. Compared to 86% of the minutes played in the Concacaf Champions Cup this season, including added time, Messi has only played 73% of the available minutes with Inter Miami in the MLS, according to ESPN Research.
Their withdrawal from the Concacaf Champions Cup meant that he needed to come up to match fitness, which is why he has played more since mid-May.
Playing one game every three days in foreign locations, Inter Miami began the 2025 season balancing MLS and the Concacaf Champions Cup. In order to handle the enormous quantity of playing time, the club had to change the training routine as the team swiftly went from the offseason into two intense contests.
Even though Mascherano maintains that Messi has played under such pressures for the majority of his career, tiredness and load management started to resurface in the discussion.
The team had a tight schedule after making it to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals for the first time in club history: March 24 in Vancouver, April 26 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale against FC Dallas, and April 30 in the second-leg CCC encounter against the Whitecaps.
The team had a tight schedule after making it to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals for the first time in club history: March 24 in Vancouver, April 26 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale against FC Dallas, and April 30 in the second-leg CCC encounter against the Whitecaps.
Mascherano and the team had a plan going into the week, going back to the 2024 approach when Miami put international competition first and rested Messi completely. Before receiving a break, the skipper played the entire ninety minutes of the first leg against Vancouver.
Mascherano blamed his absence from the pregame workout against Dallas on exhaustion, saying, "Messi ended the [first-leg] game [against Vancouver] well." He was obviously tired. A player may become much more exhausted when playing on artificial grass because of the surface.
Messi missed the whole MLS regular-season game against Dallas. Before playing again when they hosted the Whitecaps for the second leg, Miami suffered a 4-3 loss.
Messi missed the whole MLS regular-season game against Dallas. Before playing again when they hosted the Whitecaps for the second leg, Miami suffered a 4-3 loss.
Mascherano and the team had a plan going into the week, going back to the 2024 approach when Miami put international competition first and rested Messi completely. Before receiving a break, the skipper played the entire ninety minutes of the first leg against Vancouver.
Mascherano blamed his absence from the pregame workout against Dallas on exhaustion, saying, "Messi ended the first-leg game against Vancouver well." He was obviously tired. A player may become much more exhausted when playing on artificial grass because of the surface.
Messi missed the whole MLS regular-season game against Dallas. Before playing again when they hosted the Whitecaps for the second leg, Miami suffered a 4-3 loss.
Messi missed the whole MLS regular-season game against Dallas. Before playing again when they hosted the Whitecaps for the second leg, Miami suffered a 4-3 loss.
After the Dallas game, Mascherano stated, "Obviously we chose, like many of his colleagues, to reserve him after the game against Vancouver, where we had to travel for six to seven hours and play on synthetic grass." "He is okay, though; he trained today and is prepared for the CCC second leg versus Vancouver."
To avoid becoming tired as the Concacaf Champions Cup's final stages drew near, Messi also missed three games in March. Without him, he watched as Inter Miami won two MLS regular-season games and the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16.
Mascherano at the time indicated that the team wanted to avoid any kind of exhaustion as the later rounds of the international tournament rapidly drew near, and he gave load management as the rationale for resting Messi.
Mascherano told reporters on March 6 that "we opted to give him rest, knowing the risks we are facing, since we want to take care of him and we do not want to make him feel weary." "Obviously, it is difficult to not have the world's top player."
Mascherano told reporters on March 6 that "we opted to give him rest, knowing the risks we are facing, since we want to take care of him and we do not want to make him feel weary." "Obviously, it is difficult to not have the world's top player."
Messi, who is 37 years old, has been able to maintain his elite level of play by modifying his on-field technique and developing an off-field training schedule. However, as he stated last year, "These days, rest is crucial. As we age, everything becomes more challenging.
"I am aware that I will quit as soon as I feel like I can no longer play, enjoy the game, or support my teammates," Messi stated.
Messi has been able to support his teammates when it matters most by getting more rest and missing less crucial MLS games. There may be a similar tendency for the Club World Cup to begin.
"I am aware that I will quit as soon as I feel like I can no longer play, enjoy the game, or support my teammates," Messi stated.
Messi has been able to support his teammates when it matters most by getting more rest and missing less crucial MLS games. There may be a similar tendency for the Club World Cup to begin.