Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko have been kicked out the the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League competition after CAF announced that their opponents Al Hilal Omdurman have progressed to the group stage of the competition.
Al Hilal were to host Asante Kotoko in the second leg of the last round for the preliminary stages in Sudan, after the Sudanese giants had beaten the Porcupine Warriors by 1-0 in the first leg played in Accra on December 23, 2020. However, the match was eventually called off by the Match Commissioner after seven players of Asante Kotoko were alleged to have tested positive for covid-19, with the results of one other player said to have allegedly gone “missing”.
Asante Kotoko traveled to Sudan with a total of 22 players and therefore were unable to raise the required number of 15 players needed for the game. Coach Johnson Smith’s side later announced in a tweet that without the results of the said outstanding player, the club will not be able to raise the number of players needed for the game which was to take place on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
They subsequently alleged that the results of the covid-19 test on their players had been tempered with, and the had accordingly filed a protest through the Ghana Football Association to CAF for a redress.
On Thursday, January 7, 2021, the continent’s football governing body, CAF, released a list of clubs that have advanced to the group stage of the 2020/2021 Champions League, and the list includes Al Hilal Omdurman at the expends of Asante Kotoko which implies that the Porcupine Warriors have declared losers of the tie by 2-0.
At the time of filing this report, Asante Kotoko are yet to comment on the matter, and an official communique from CAF confirming a declaration of Al Hilal as winners over Asante Kotoko is yet to be given.
For the records, Asante Kotoko are yet to receive any ruling from CAF on their petition which they filed on Wednesday, January 6 via the GFA and the match officials on the day. CAF’s inclusion of Al Hilal in the list of clubs that have advanced to the group stage may there be interpreted as for mere administrative and technical purposes, judging from the fact that they won the first leg fixture and Asante Kotoko, on the other hand, technically failed to raise a team for the second leg fixture.
Asante Kotoko are still in Sudan and it is left with time to see what the position of the club will be regarding the matter. We will update readers as and when Kotoko comments on the matter.