The second leg of the 2020-21 CAF Confederation Cup playoffs games comes off today, Sunday, February 21 across the continent.
Ghana’s sole represenentative, Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC will today face Algerian giants Entente Sportive de Setif in Algeria for their second leg clash in search of a possible place into the group stages.
The Porcupine Warriors suffered a 2-1 home defeat in the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium a week ago which makes the second leg a very tall mountain to climb following their recent showings in Africa against North African teams.
North African clubs have won 8 times in Ghana. – Hearts 1-2 Arab Contractors, Ghapoha 0-1 USM Alger, Dwarfs 0-2 Ismailia, King Faisal 1-2 FAR Rabat, Kotoko 1-2 MC El Eulma, Wa All Stars 1-3 Al Ahli Tripoli, Kotoko 0-1 Al Hilal & Kotoko 1-2 ES Setif. Kotoko have lost the most – 3.
Asante Kotoko are yet to win a game in the 2020-21 CAF Inter-clubs competition after drawing 1-1 in Mauritania against Noaudhibou FC, the second leg was not honoured due to issues partening to Covid-19.
In Kotoko’s Champions League playoffs game against another North African side Al Hilal Omdurman from Sudan, the Red and Whites suffered a 0-1 defeat at home and the second leg was not honoured in Sudan after the Porcupines failed to raise a team for the game due to the outbreak of coronavirus at the team’s camp.
After their painful elimination from the Champions League, the Ghanaian giants were paired with ES Setif from Algeria and despite taking the lead through a nice finish from striker Kwame Opoku, the two-time CAF Champions League winners went ahead to suffer another loss at home making the return leg a big mountain to climb.
Kotoko’s task becomes very difficult as no Ghanaian club have been able to progress to the next stage after losing the 1st leg at home in a CAF Inter-Club games since 1966. Only Kotoko 2-2 vs Stade Abidjan in 1966, Hearts 0-0 vs Simba in 1974, and AshGold 0-0 vs Asec in 1995 have got a point at away after losing a home.
The Porcupine Warriors face an improbable mission in Algeria when they take on ES Setif this evening in the CAF Confederation Cup playoffs.
The game kicks off at 5pm today and will be live on Algerian TV’s Facebook page.
Click the link below to watch the game live:
https://m.facebook.com/eptv.dz/ (Télévision Algérienne)
⌨️ https://t.co/xf6u8gr5v6 https://t.co/aTpgl0unrN
