Asante Kotoko head coach Abdul Karim Zito says his side are fully prepared and determined to eliminate North African giants Wydad Casablanca and secure a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
The Porcupine Warriors host the three-time African champions at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, 19 October 2025, in the first leg of the second preliminary round. The return fixture will be played a week later in Morocco, with the winner over two legs advancing to the group stage.
Zito insists the group stage is a non-negotiable target.
“We are definitely ready. We are going to wrap up tomorrow,” he told Joy Sports.
“We’ve done all that we’re supposed to do. We’ve studied the game and put into practice how I would like them to play on Sunday. I think we are all ready.”
Kotoko head into the tie in good form, having defeated Nigeria’s Kwara United 4–3 in Ghana and 1–0 away in Abeokuta to progress from the first preliminary round.
Zito believes beating Wydad in Accra will be crucial to their qualification hopes.
“If we beat them in Accra, 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,” he said.
He stressed that this opportunity is also about showcasing the players’ talent on the continental stage.
“It’s very, very important to us because I told them, you will not see Africa until you are in Africa.
I cited Dreams FC, the players I reached the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final with are all gone.
So, this is the opportunity for them to exhibit their talent so that people will trust them and we can go into the group stage.”
Kick-off is at 15:00 GMT in Accra, where Kotoko will aim to take a decisive first-leg advantage against one of Africa’s most formidable sides.
