Asante Kotoko SC has confirmed that two of its Sudanese players, Esmat AbdalHamid Mohamed and Obdoelkarem Yoouef Yagoub, have gone missing from the club’s camp in the United States.
The players were last seen on Friday, October 11, 2024, when they left the team’s hotel without permission, and all attempts to contact them since then have been unsuccessful.
In an official statement released by the club, Kotoko informed supporters and the public that law enforcement authorities in the United States have been notified, and the club is cooperating fully with them in efforts to locate the missing players.
“Asante Kotoko regrets to inform our supporters and the public that two players, Esmat AbdalHamid Mohamed and Obdoelkarem Yoouef Yagoub, both Sudanese nationals, are currently missing from the camp,” the statement read. “The players left the team’s hotel without permission on Friday, 11th October 2024, and all efforts to contact or locate them have been unsuccessful. The club has officially notified law enforcement authorities in the United States and is cooperating fully to ensure their safe return.”
The two players were part of a group of seven who traveled to the US following Kotoko’s victory over rivals Hearts of Oak in the Democracy Cup. The match was organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as part of the Ghana Week DC 2024 festivities.
The rest of the team, including head coach Dr. Prosper Ogum Narteh, had been awaiting the arrival of additional players, who were in the process of securing their visas.