History 
The club had an interesting genesis which saw it formally take off 10 years after it was initially formed. The grounds for what can safely be described as Ghana’s best football club in terms of achievements both at home and abroad was laid by 13 young men led by a young driver, Kwasi Kuma ably assisted by his close friend Lawrence Yaw Asamoah, an electrician. Kwasi Kuma from Nyankyerase near Kwadaso, a Kumasi suburb, was a driver in the colonial days to a Col. Ross an English Amy officer in the Gold Coast Army. In early 1924 Kwasi had watched an exciting football match in Accra between Accra Standfast and Accra Hearts of Oak and was really thrilled. He developed so much interest in football that he nursed an ambition to form a club of his own in the future. Hearts won the said match 2-1 and Sir Gordon Guggisberg, Governor of the Gold Coast presented a set of jerseys to Hearts for their good performance. When Col. Ross returned to Britain for good towards the end of 1924, Kuma also had to return home to Kumasi where he decided to pursue his ambition of forming a club of his own. Indeed he had bought a set of jerseys from Accra for the purpose. 

With co-operation of his close friend, Lawrence Yaw Asamoah, he formed Kumasi Rainbow towards the end of the year 1924. Two years later the name was changed to Ashanti United after the leaders had succeeded in recruiting a number of young promising students from ECM (Anglican) and AME Zion and Government School all in Kumasi. The two gentlemen tried to promote the game in Ashanti and within five years Ashanti could boast of strong teams like Everton, Royals, Never Miss, Europeans, Primrose and Highlanders. In 1931 it was decided once more to change the name of Ashanti United to Kumasi Titanic. This was the time the club had been really handicapped because most of their players in government departments like the Prisons and Railways had gone on transfer from Kumasi. The story goes that Titanic did not find enough luck in their new name and in 1934 they adopted a more powerful name- Mighty Atoms. Still, the club did not see enough progress and in 1935 Mr James Frimpong, popularly called Teacher Frimpong, a teacher at the Kumasi Government School, now Asem Boys School, organized some young energetic boys from his school and suggested a change of name from Atoms to Asante Kotoko. This was after he had obtained special permission from the Asantehene Nana Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II. The club was officially inaugurated on August 31, 1935, before a great assembly of chiefs and people from all walks of life. The Asantehene was represented by the Atipinhene of Kumasi, Nana Boakye Yamoa. The Asantehene and the Atipinhene were elected patrons and the first elected officers were James Darkwa- President, John Darkwa- Treasurer, John Osei- Secretary, Kwame Frimpong and Kwasi Oppong- Trainers. Asante Kotoko's emblem features the "Porcupine", displaying an inbuilt arsenal of sharp spikes for use when attacked by an enemy. 

Dominance 
Although the club was formally inaugurated in the mid-30s, their first league triumph was in 1959, which followed theirs. This would serve as something of a warm-up for what was to be a successful 1960s decade for the Ghanaian club as the country simultaneously celebrated political independence. After an FA Cup triumph in 1960, Asante waited 3 more seasons before capturing their second ever league title in 1963-64. They followed it up with a title defence before a barren spell of two years. They would, however, have a blistering end to the decade, winning three league titles in a row from 1967 to ‘69.   The 70s started brightly for the Ashanti club with a Champions League triumph in 1970.it would prove to be a difficult decade, however, winning only three more silverware; a league trophy in 1972 and ’75, and an FA Cup triumph in ’78. By the turn of the decade, Asante Kotoko was already one of Ghana’s foremost clubs. The first four years of the ’80s saw an unprecedented run of successive titles, winning four league trophies from 1980 to 1983. The latter year was a hugely successful one as they also clinched the Champions League trophy. Two more league titles would follow in 1986 and 1987 an FA Cup win in ‘84. Their last league triumph of this decade would be in 1989. The 90s would mark another run of successive titles. With three in a row from 1990 to 1993. They would win another FA Cup in 1997-98. 

2000s 
The new Millennium started on a tragic note for the club, as a derby match with serial rivals Hearts of Oak saw more than a hundred supporters lose their lives. The Accra Sports Stadium disaster occurred at the Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra, Ghana on May 9, 2001. Ghana's most successful football teams played that day, the Accra Hearts of Oak (The Phobians) Sporting Club and the Asante Kotoko. Accra had two late goals and a referee would call 2–1 Accra, resulting in disappointed Kotoko fans throwing plastic seats and bottles onto the pitch. The police responded by firing tear gas into the trapped crowd. Panic and a stampede ensued as fans tried to escape. After the hour-long ordeal, it was found that 117 deaths resulted from compressive asphyxia and 10 fans died from trauma. The Porcupines continue to run away with the record of the most league titles won in the Ghanaian Premier league as after trophies won in, 2003, 2005, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13 and 2013–14, they have amassed the most with 24 in total. In July 2011, Asante Kotoko and English Premier League club Sunderland signed a partnership agreement, which will see Sunderland offering practical support and advice in youth coaching, player development, fitness and medical matters as well as football business strategy to Asante Kotoko. 

Famous Players 
Asante Kotoko has produced some of the best players in the country. Many of whom contributed to the success of the club and some of whom made the national team regularly. Tony Yeboah, Baba Rahman of Chelsea, Emmanuel Badu of Udinese, veteran defender John Mensah and Champions League winner Samuel Kuffour all had their beginnings at the Ashanti club. 

Ghana Premier League: 24 1959, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2003, 2005, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (Record Holder). 

FA Cup: 8 1958, 1959, 1960, 1978, 1984, 1997–98, 2001, 2014 (2nd Most Successful Club). 

Ghana Super Cup: 3 2012, 2013, 2014 (Most Successful Club) 

Ghana SWAG Cup: 12 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008 (Record Holder) 

Ghana Telecom Gala: 3 1999–00, 2001, 2005 (Record Holder) 

Cup: 2 2003, 2007 (Record Holder) 

Ghana Annual Republic Day Cup: 3 2004, 2005, 2008 (Record Holder) 

International African Cup of Champions Clubs & CAF Champions League: 2 (7th Most Successful Club) Champion – 1970, 1983,   

Sources: Asante Kotoko Website