Asante Kotoko’s hopes of making a strong start to their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round campaign suffered a setback following a 1-0 defeat to Wydad Athletic Club in the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
A second-half strike from Joseph Bakasu gave the Moroccan giants a crucial away win, leaving the Porcupine Warriors with a difficult task ahead of the return leg this weekend in Casablanca.
Speaking to Radio Gold, former Asante Kotoko midfielder Michael Akuffo attributed the defeat to the team’s lack of experience in continental competitions, noting that most of the current squad are featuring in Africa for the first time.
“Most of the guys, it’s a learning process for them. Many have not played games like these — matches in the Champions League or Confederation Cup against big clubs like Wydad,” Akuffo explained.
“Sometimes, if you’re not careful, you give them too much respect. In the first fifteen minutes, Kotoko were on them and created a few chances but couldn’t score. Their plan was clearly to soak the pressure and hit us on the counter. Unfortunately, they got one chance, and our goalkeeper was sent off, which made things very difficult.”
Despite the loss, Akuffo remains optimistic that Kotoko can turn things around in Casablanca if they approach the second leg with the right mindset.
“I know it’s not over for us. It’s possible, but we have to go into the second leg with a winning mentality. Kotoko can go there and get a good result,” he stated confidently.
Ghanaian clubs have struggled against North African opposition in recent years. Reigning league champions Bibiani Gold Stars, for instance, suffered a 7-0 aggregate defeat to JS Kabylie in the CAF Champions League earlier this season — a record Kotoko will be eager to avoid as they seek redemption in Morocco.
