Asante Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito remains optimistic about his team’s chances of advancing in the CAF Confederation Cup, despite a 1–0 home defeat to Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of the second-round qualifiers.
The Porcupine Warriors were undone by a second-half strike from Joseph Bakasu at the Accra Sports Stadium, leaving the Ghanaian side with work to do in the return fixture in Morocco next weekend.
Speaking after the match, Coach Zito expressed disappointment with the result but maintained belief that the tie is still open.
“If someone had told me I would lose to Wydad, I would have said no. This is football; sometimes certain things happen beyond your control. Some mistakes affected us, but it’s not all over. Anything can happen when we go there. We’re not going as losers — we’re going to fight and play well,” he said.
Drawing on past experience, Zito reminded fans of Kotoko’s impressive away victory over Nigeria’s Kwara United in the earlier stages of the competition, stressing that his side is capable of repeating such a performance.
“Nobody gave us a chance when we went to Kwara, but we did it. So it’s not over until it’s all over.”
The experienced tactician also called on the club’s supporters to remain calm and continue backing the team as they prepare for the crucial second leg.
“It’s two games. We’ve lost the first one, but they can also lose at their home. Some situations in football are not impossible. The fans should be patient and wait for what happens in Morocco.”
Asante Kotoko are expected to depart Ghana later this week for Casablanca, as they look to overturn the narrow deficit and secure qualification to the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup.
