Kwara United narrowly lose 4-3 to Asante Kotoko in first leg of CAF Confederation cup tie
Kwara United on Sunday narrowly lost to Ghanaian Giants Asante Kotoko in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round played at the Accra Sports Stadium.
A seven-goal thriller encounter that light up the Stadium, the homeside met a unimaginable match up from the Nigerian side who produced an impressive show by coming back twice to level in the game.
Although the match ended 2-2 in the first half, both teams came into the second half with a renewed vigour, and an end to end stuff that later produced three goals and eventually saw the host win 4-3.
Asante Kotoko struck first in the 19th minute, when Emmanuel Antwi found space inside the box to slot home confidently. But the visitors, undaunted by the early setback, drew level in the 34th minute through Johnmark Atule, who pounced on a defensive lapse.
The match swung back in Asante Kotoko’s favour on the stroke of halftime, with Albert Amoah finishing off a superb delivery from Patrick Asiedu. Yet, Kwara United responded almost immediately, as Atule grabbed his second in stoppage time to make it two-all at the interval.
The second half began at a furious pace, with Kotoko restoring their lead within two minutes of the restart. Defender Joseph Ablorh rose high to head in from a corner, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
Kotoko tightened their grip in the 73rd minute when Amoah converted from the penalty spot after Asiedu was fouled, giving the Porcupine Warriors a 4–2 cushion.
But Kwara United refused to fold. Their resilience paid off in the 88th minute, when substitute Abdulraheem Shola tucked in a rebound to reduce the deficit to 4–3, ensuring the tie remains delicately poised ahead of the return leg.
Coaches’ reactions
In his reactions at the post match conference, Coach Tunde Sanni of Kwara United expressed confidence that his team will go past Asante Kotoko in the return leg in Nigeria.
“As far as I am concerned, we will go past Asante Kotoko to the next stage. They are lucky to have won, but it’s not yet over. There is still the second leg to play for in Nigeria.
“Scoring as much as three goals in the match of this magnitude shows our resilience, doggedness and solid preparation for this all-important match, and it’s a good advantage for us going into the return leg”, he said.
The Head Coach of Asante Kotoko, Abdul Karim Zito praised his team for winning the match, pointing out that even though they conceded three goals, hope is not lost, until after the second leg in Nigeria.
“We won the match, and also scored as much as four goals. That’s a good result for us, even though we conceded three goals. We will fight it out in Nigeria, and ensure we qualify”, he said.
What next?
The return leg of the game is scheduled to take place in Nigeria on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta,
The result leaves Asante Kotoko with a slim advantage going into next Sunday’s decisive second where Kwara United will look to overturn the deficit in front of their home crowd.
The aggregate winner will set up a mouth-watering clash with Moroccan heavyweights, Wydad Athletic Club in the next round.
Meanhwhile, Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman of Kwara State was a surprise guest at the Accra Sports Stadium to boosts the team in Ghana.
The team are expected in Nigeria on Monday to prepare for the return leg of the game.
Part of this report were extracted from Sportsbash.com.ng
