Asante Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito has admitted he was shocked by his team’s 1-0 defeat to Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup tie.
The Porcupine Warriors produced a disciplined first-half display at the Accra Sports Stadium, keeping the Moroccan giants at bay. But just two minutes after the restart, Kotoko were caught off guard as Wydad scored the only goal of the game.
To make matters worse, a defensive error led to Kotoko being reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper handled the ball outside the box while trying to recover from the mistake.
Speaking after the match, Zito could not hide his disappointment.
“If someone had told me I would lose to Wydad Casablanca, I would say no,” he said.
“We prepared well and believed we could win, but football can be cruel. One moment changed everything.”
Despite the defeat, Zito insisted the tie is far from over and remains confident ahead of the second leg in Morocco.
Asante Kotoko will now need a strong response in the return fixture if they are to keep their Confederation Cup hopes alive.
