By Wale Mustapha
Asante Kotoko head coach, Karim Zito, has conceded that his team underestimated Kwara United in their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round first-leg clash on Sunday.
The Porcupine Warriors claimed a 4–3 victory over the Nigerian side at the Accra Sports Stadium but were pushed to the limit in a pulsating encounter.
Zito acknowledged that the Harmony Boys exceeded expectations, making the contest far more difficult than he had initially anticipated.
“It was a tough game beyond our thinking because when we heard of Kwara United we thought it was a stroll in the park,” the Kotoko coach admitted in his post-match reaction.
“As I told my players before the game, as far as they qualified, they are a good team.”
Kwara United will have the chance to overturn the deficit when they host Kotoko in the decisive second leg at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, on Sunday.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
