Aduana Stars Communications Director, Evans Oppong has cautioned Ghanaian fellows Asante Kotoko against revolting conditions that militate against Ghanaian clubs’ success in playing against E.S Setif football club in Algiers.
Asante Kotoko will take on Algerian giants E.S Setif on Sunday, February 21 in the second leg of the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup competition in Algiers. With the exception of Accra Hearts of Oak, no Ghanaian club has been able to win against a North African club in the continental inter club competitions, and Evans Oppong fears Asante Kotoko might not survive the test.
For the records, Evans Oppont was part of the Aduana Stars club officials who traveled with the team to Algiers in 2018 to play against E.S Setif in the first round of the CAF Champions League. In the said game, which was the second leg of the encounter, played on March 18, 2018, Aduana Stars were humiliated by 4-0 after they’d beaten Setif by a lone goal in the first leg in Dormaa. Goals from Mourad Benayad (27), Mohamed Koutir Ziti (45+3), Abdelkader Bedrane (61), and Abdelhakim Amokrane (89) did the magic for the Algerian giants.
“When we went to Algeria I was part, and the situation is that when playing in the Setif stadium it’s like playing in hell. So Kotoko would have to be cautious in the game, because when we went there we played under negative three Degree Celsius, very cold. Our boys too were not used to the weather condition in Algeria, I want Kotoko to be very cautious”, he advised.
Oppong urged Asante Kotoko to remain very focused throughout the game and not to lose focus at all. To him, being focused is key if Asante Kotoko wants to return to Ghana with favourable results from Algiers.
“Playing in Algeria is like playing in Hell. In football anything is possible but Kotoko must be more concentrated, if they lose a little bit of focus they will lose”, he cautioned.
Asante Kotoko were defeated by E.S Setif by 2-1 in Accra during the first leg, and a lot must be done if they will be able to overturn the results in their favour.
