Asante Kotoko head coach Eric Tinkler has defended the club's decision to begin the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season with a reduced squad.The South African coach says the Porcupine Warriors have cut their squad from 36 players to 28 as part of efforts to create a more competitive group ahead of the new campaign.Tinkler believes having a large squad does not necessarily provide an advantage and instead wants to work with a smaller group of players capable of competing for places.And also people think you need big squads. No, we need a smaller squad. So we have reduced the squad immensely. I think we had 36 players. We have brought it down to 28. So we have reduced the squad, and we have made it competitive. Thats a very important factor for me. Obviously we continue working extremely hard," Tinkler told journalists on Sunday.He was speaking in a post-match interview after Asante Kotoko defeated Hearts of Oak on penalties to claim the 2026 Democracy Cup trophy.Meanwhile, Tinkler has already stressed the importance of consistency if Asante Kotoko are to challenge for the Ghana Premier League title in the upcoming season.The new league campaign commences next weekend with the Porcupine Warriors set to face Debibi United.
Follow the story
