Asante Kotoko head coach Karim Zito has hailed his side’s resilience after edging Nigerian outfit Kwara United 4-3 in a pulsating CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round clash at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Porcupine Warriors were made to dig deep in Sunday’s encounter but ultimately secured a narrow first-leg advantage in front of their home supporters.
Reflecting on the contest, Zito acknowledged that many underestimated the quality of the Nigerian side but praised his players for showing character to get the job done.
“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 tactician further noted that while doubts lingered over Kotoko’s attacking potency, his side proved their critics wrong with four goals on the night.
“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,” Zito noted.
Kotoko will now shift their focus to the decisive return leg in Nigeria next weekend at the M.K.O. Abiola International Stadium, where they must protect their slender lead to progress to the next round of the competition.
