Asante Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito has declared his side fully prepared for their much-anticipated CAF Confederation Cup showdown with Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club.
The Ghanaian heavyweights will host the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 GMT. The return fixture will be played a week later in Morocco, with the aggregate winner progressing to the group stage of the continental competition.
Speaking to Joy Sports, Zito expressed confidence in his team’s readiness and belief in their ability to overcome the three-time African champions.
“We are definitely ready. We are going to wrap up tomorrow,” he said. “We’ve done all that we’re supposed to do. We’ve studied the game and then put into practice how I would like them to play on Sunday. I think we are all ready.”
Zito underlined the importance of securing a home victory in Accra, stressing that proper planning would be crucial for the second leg in Morocco.
“It means I have another game to play in Morocco, and I have to plan well so that we will not concede over there, just as we did against Kwara.
“This is the target we set for ourselves — that at least we should progress to the group stage, and then we have only Wydad to play against before we go there.”
The Kotoko boss also urged his players to make the most of the opportunity, drawing inspiration from Dreams FC’s impressive run to the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals last season.
“It’s very, very important to us [to win in Accra] because I told them, you will not see Africa until you are in Africa. I cited an example that today, when you go to Dreams FC, everybody [players he reached the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final with] are gone.
“So, this is the opportunity for them to exhibit their talent, and then, as we did on the field, for people to trust them so that they can go into the group stage, and we will do our best there.”
Asante Kotoko advanced to this stage after defeating Nigeria’s Kwara United in the preliminary round, winning 4–3 in Ghana and 1–0 in Abeokuta to seal a 5–3 aggregate victory.