Kotoko head coach Karim Zito
Asante Kotoko head coach Karim Zito has praised his players after their hard-fought win against Kwara United in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Ghanaian giants hosted the Nigerian side in the first leg of the preliminary round at the Accra Sports Stadium.
After 90 minutes of football, Kotoko secured a 4-3 win over Kwara.
Speaking after the game, Zito admitted that many had underestimated the Nigerian club, but his players showed character to grind out the result.
“It was a tough game. We all had our own thoughts when we heard of Kwara United. I told my players before the game that the fact that we got them as opponents shows they are good. In Ghana, we used to have 64 clubs and we emerged champions,” Zito said.
The veteran gaffer further added that although people doubted Kotoko’s ability to score freely, the team delivered on the day.
“At the end of the day, nobody thought we could even score two or three goals. What makes me a little happy is that we won by four goals to three. Now I will plan how to go there and try to do what they came here to do,” he noted.
Asante Kotoko will now prepare for the decisive second leg in Nigeria, scheduled for next weekend at the M.K.O. Abiola International Stadium, where they must defend their slim advantage to reach the next stage of the competition.
