Asante Kotoko suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup tie on Sunday.
A second-half strike from Joseph Bakasu handed the visitors a crucial advantage at the Accra Sports Stadium ahead of the return fixture in Morocco.
Coach Karim Zito opted for a 4-2-3-1 system, with Inusah and Peter Amidu Acquah supporting Albert Amoah in attack.
The Porcupines started the game brightly, dictating the tempo with a patient build-up approach and maintaining long spells of possession.
Albert Amoah had the first real chance of the game but failed to connect from a Samba Oniel flick inside the box. Wydad responded swiftly, but defender Oniel was alert to clear the danger.
Kotoko came close again in the 31st minute when Amidu Acquah’s strike went narrowly wide.
The visitors also threatened through Lorch, only for goalkeeper Mohammed Camara to pull off an important save. The Guinean shot-stopper was called into action moments later to deny Aziz Ki from close range as both sides went into the break level.
Wydad broke the deadlock just a minute after the restart when Bakasu met a Lorch cross to silence the home fans.
The situation deteriorated for Kotoko after Camara was sent off for pushing the referee, leaving the hosts with only ten men.
Coach Zito reacted by introducing Aziz Dari and Emmanuel Antwi for Peter Amidu Acquah and Walid Neymar in a tactical reshuffle. Kotoko nearly found the equalizer from a free kick in the 65th minute, but Antwi’s effort sailed over the bar.
Wydad pressed for a second, forcing Dari into crucial saves to keep Kotoko in the game. Substitute Donzo Morifing thought he had equalized late on, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Kotoko had a late scare when Lord Amoah cleared a goal-bound header off the line in the 85th minute, preventing a second goal for the visitors.
Despite Wydad’s dominance in the closing stages, the game ended 1-0 in favor of the Moroccans.
The return leg will be played in Casablanca next week, with a place in the group stage still up for grabs.
