Confederation Cup: Wydad stun 10-man Kotoko in Accra
Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) snatched a crucial 1-0 away victory over Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday in the first leg of their 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round clash.
The result leaves the Ghanaian side with it all to do in next Friday’s return fixture in Morocco.
It was a match that began brightly for the home side, with Kotoko controlling much of the possession and dictating the tempo, but their inability to translate dominance into clear chances once again proved costly.
In contrast, Wydad’s organisation and ruthless efficiency in transition underlined their pedigree on the continental stage.
Decisive moment
The decisive moment arrived barely 90 seconds into the second half. As many fans were still settling back into their seats, Wydad struck from a cleverly worked short corner.
The ball looped beyond Kotoko’s defence and dropped perfectly to Joseph Bakasu, the DR Congo midfielder, who unleashed a ferocious right-footed strike into the roof of the net, a goal that silenced the home crowd.
Things went from bad to worse for Kotoko just three minutes later, when goalkeeper Mohamed Camara was sent off for handling the ball outside his box in a desperate attempt to stop a counterattack.
The red card forced Kotoko to sacrifice an outfield player, bringing on substitute goalkeeper Aziz Darry, who would go on to make several key saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, the Porcupine Warriors showed admirable fight. In the 67th minute, Albert Amoah was brought down on the edge of the box but Emmanuel Antwi’s free kick sailed narrowly over the bar. It was a huge missed opportunity to level the score.
Wydad nearly doubled their advantage in the 73rd minute, but over-elaboration in the box allowed goalkeeper Darry to rush off his line and avert the danger.
Offside goal
Moments later, Kotoko thought they had equalised when a corner was flicked on and bundled over the goalline, only for the assistant referee’s flag to cut short the celebrations for offside.
With time running out, the host roared their team forward. Captain Samba O’Neil came closest deep into stoppage time, rising highest to meet a corner in the 97th minute, but Wydad’s goalkeeper Bernabi produced a fine save to preserve the lead.
The final whistle drew a mix of frustration and admiration from the home fans, frustration at missed chances and the red card that changed the game, but admiration for their side’s resilience against a seasoned African powerhouse.
Kotoko now face a daunting task in the second leg in Casablanca, where they must win by at least two clear goals to stay alive in the competition.
