Asante Kotoko defender Abdul Ganiyu will resume light training on Saturday 14th December after being sidelined for more than four months with a knee injury.

Ganiyu suffered a knee injury during Kotoko’s preparations for their African campaign, earlier reports suggested that the player will undergo surgery to overcome the setback but recent reports revealed that the player recovered from the injury without any surgery.

The 23-year old center back will join his teammates on the training grounds on Saturday morning, Sahara Football can confirm.

Abdul Ganiyu missed Asante Kotoko’s CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup campaign under former boss Kjetil Zacharissen.

His return will be a major boost to the Porcupines as they prepare for the upcoming Ghana Premier League season.

Defender, Abdul Ismael Ganiyu has described his one year with Kotoko as the best moment in his career as he recounts his success and the progress made in his game.

The 23-year-old center-back has been a pillar at Kotoko’s defence since joining from Karela United ahead of last season’s CAF Confederation campaign.

The Porcupines reached the group stage of the competition with Abdul Ganiyu featuring in all the games and giving good accounts of himself. That was aside guarding the side to the Tier One Cup and other trophies.

Abdul Ganiyu is yet to feature in this season’s 2019/2020 Africa campaign due to an injury but is nonetheless satisfied with the progress made within the first year of his three-year deal.

“It has been the best time in my career,” he said as he marked his first anniversary at Kotoko on Tuesday. “I have really had a lot and also learnt a lot. A lot has changed in my game also”.

“Playing for Kotoko means a lot to me and though I have achieved a lot in a short time, I am hoping to do more.”

“I have won the Tier One Cup, the Otumfuo Cup and also reached the Confederation Cup group stage, which has really kept my name high. A lot of people have gotten to know the caliber of player I am. I am happy playing for a club like this, and is looking forward to doing more in the subsequent years”.

Asante Kotoko’s team doctor Dr. Twumasi has revealed that the club is almost at the end of the process for conducting surgery for injured defender Abdul Ganiyu.

Abdul Ganiyu who suffered a knee injury in July is yet to fly out for the required surgery and treatment.

Dr. Twumasi revealed via FOX FM that the club is in contact with their partners in Germany, he stated that they have sent all the required images and scan results and are awaiting feedback from the hospital in Germany.

“Abdul Ganiu is a Kotoko player who got injured around July. We took a scan and saw the ligament joining the knee was torn and the bone also is broken.”

“We contacted our partners in Germany, they came for all the images we took including the new ones they requested. By God’s grace, we are at the tail end of the process for the surgery.”

He added that the surgery will be done once they receive the bill from the hospital

“We will receive the bill for the surgery this week, it could even be today, so very soon the surgery will be done because I have always been in contact with the player. As soon as we receive the bill from the hospital in Germany, we will do it for him just as we did for Richard Senanu.”

Abdul Ganiyu’s injury in July prevented him from taking part in Kotoko’s CAF Champions League preliminary stage games.

Abdul Ganiyu is hopeful of being fit for next month’s epic clash with rivals Hearts of Oak following an injury scare on Wednesday.

Ganiyu was taken off moments after scoring a spot-kick to register Kotoko’s third goal in the 3-1 win over RTU.

The player, however, limped off the field after proceedings with an ice pack on his right foot.

The centre-back is suspended for Kotoko’s next Tier-Two clash due to accumulated cards but will be available to face Hearts in the Special Competition semi-final game on June 16, 2019.

“My injury is not bad at all,” Ganiyu tells Kotoko Media. “Injuries are part of the game and so I would not have bothered much even if it was. Fortunately, it is just a knock. I will serve my ban and be back for the Hearts game.”

Ganiyu is happy his goal heaped Kotoko to a good start in the Tier-Two campaign.

“In everything you do in life, how you start is always very important,” observes the defender. “I am happy for scoring against RTU and even more for contributing to a convincing win.”

source: Kotoko Express