A ten-man Asante Kotoko suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Wydad Athletic Club on Sunday afternoon.
The Porcupine Warriors tasted a narrow defeat to the Moroccan giants in the first leg tie of their 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup game at the Accra Sports Stadium.
A second-half strike Joseph Bakasu secured a precious away victory for the WAC ahead of the reverse leg fixture next weekend in Morocco.
Asante Kotoko had a bright start with coach Karim Zito opting for 4-2-3-1 system, with Inusah and Peter Amidu Acquah supporting Albert Amoah in attack.
In-form Albert Amoah had the first real chance of the game but failed to connect from a Samba Oniel flick inside the box. Wydad responded swiftly, but defender Oniel was alert to clear the danger.
The home side came close again in the 31st minute of the game when Amidu Acquah’s strike went narrowly wide.
However, WAC also threatened through Lorch, only for goalkeeper Mohammed Camara to pull off a brilliant save. The Guinean shot-stopper was called into action moments later to deny Aziz Ki from close range as the first half ended in a score-less draw.
Two minutes after the recess, Joseph Bakasu superbly silenced the fans of Asante Kotoko with his brilliant strike from a corner-kick effected by Lorch.
Asante Kotoko's woes deepen when Camara Mohammed was sent off for unsportsmanlike behavior, when he handed the ball outside his box in the 49th minute of the game.
The situation forced the Porcupine Warriors that introduce Aziz Dari as his replacement while they played over 40 minutes as a manless side.
Asante Kotoko nearly found the equalizer from a free kick in the 65th minute, but Antwi’s effort sailed over the bar.
Wydad pressed for a second, forcing Dari into crucial saves to keep Kotoko in the game. Substitute Donzo Morifing thought he had equalized late on, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Kotoko had a late scare when Lord Amoah cleared a goal-bound header off the line in the 85th minute, preventing a second goal for the visitors.
Despite Wydad’s dominance in the closing stages, the game ended 1-0 in favor of the Moroccans.
Asante Kotoko will travel to Casablanca for the second leg tie of the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup next weekend, the winner will secure a spot in the group stage of the competition.
