Ghana’s Kotoko crushed out of CAF Champions League

They came, stood and conquered as Algerian club, JSM Bejaia, eliminated Kumasi Asante Kotoko on a 1-1 goal aggregate in a CAF Champions League match played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Sunday.

The two sides played goalless in the first leg in Algeria with the visitors edging  past the Porcupine Warriors on the away goal rule in Kumasi.

Kotoko missed their first chance in the fifth minute in a goalmouth melee, while Bejaia’s Derrag Mohammed also fumbled in an attempt at goal in 17 minutes.

The visitors from there on dictated the pace, playing it hard at all fronts.

With a packed defence, the Algerians made penetration difficult for the Kotoko attackers, and when a rare opportunity visited Kofi Nti Boakye, the striker only headed wide from a close range.

Kotoko came into the picture two minutes into injury time, profiting from a free-kick awarded by the Gambian referee, Papa Bakary Gassama, and Michael Akuffo made it count with the lead.

Akuffo delivered a 35-metre shot to beat goalkeeper Cedric Mohammed who in an attempt to save the situation injured himself when his head hit the woodwork and had to be replaced by Yacine Djebarat to end the half.

Both teams entered the second half strongly but it was Kotoko who had the upper-hand and nearly increased the tally in 50 minutes, with Seidu Bansi could only shoot into the waiting hands Djabarat.

Soon, Coach Didi Dramani  brought on Mike Anaba for Prince Baffoe for consolidation, but rather, it was the visitors who leveled  in the 73rd minute through Mohammed with the Kotoko midfield completely broken.

The Kotoko supporters began filing out of the stadium with elimination from the competition they last won in 1983 boldly looking them in the face.

Source: GNA