Polack promises to go past prelims
Coach Steve Polack of Kumasi Asante Kotoko has named a 26-man squad with a target to go past the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup as they encounter Club Athletique Renaissance Aiglon (CARA ) of Congo Brazzaville in the first match.
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The list includes three goalkeepers, seven defenders, 12 midfielders and four strikers.
The players are: Felix Annan,Michael Abu, Ibrahim Danlad,Amos Kwasi Frimpong, Edwin Frimpong Manso, Eric Akomanin Donkor and Augustine Sefah.
Others are Awudu Nafiu,Adams Wahab, Emmanuel Owusu,Jackson Owusu, Mohammed Vie Sylla, Kwame Boahene, Douglas Owusu Ansah, Baba Mahama and Jordan Opoku.
The rest are Seth Opare, Kwesi Nti, Michael Yeboah, Collins Ameyaw, Frank Sarfo Gyamfi, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Sadick Adams, Obed Owusu Ampong, Abass Mohammed and Yakubu Mohammed.
After failing to win any continental silverware for 35 years, the new Kotoko squad has started intensive training, hoping to start brightly in the first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi in the second weekend of February.
The team would meet Tunisian side, Ben Guerdane or Al Hilal Juba of Sudan, if they are able to go past the Congolese after the two-leg encounter Speaking to the Graphic Sports in a telephone interview yesterday, Coach Polack promised to work hard to go past the preliminary stage in this year’s competition.
“I know that the expectations of Kotoko fans are very high, especially where they have not won any major trophy in Africa for more than 35 years.
That is why I am working very hard to get this team into the group stage of this competition.
“The fans should believe in the players and offer them their maximum support when we begin the competition because they need such motivation to overcome their opponents,” he noted.
He said qualifying to the group stage would offer him the opportunity to bring in fresh legs as they strived to win their first continental trophy after three decades.
“We will be very much focused when the tournament begins by playing game after game, hoping to give the players much experience as they meet their opponents.
Polack said playing on the continent would not only boost the confidence of the players but would also offer him the opportunity to build a winsome side to conquer Africa in future.
He was full of praise for the fans for their unflinching support since taking over the club last season and urged them to sustain it to put the team on winning ways.