Kotoko reach quarterfinals of CAF Cup Winners Cup

A well-drilled Santos side descended on Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Kumasi sports stadium and nearly succeeded in causing harm but ended up drawing 1-1 in their CAF Cup Winners one-eighth match.

The results did not go down well with the South Africans as their national goalkeeper Andre Arendse rushed on Nigerian referee Alex Mama at the end of the match, which sent the security personnel hurrying to the aid of the referee. Santos were just unlucky as Ithier Jean-Narc hit the cross bar on the stroke of full time to let Kotoko off the hook. The win therefore sent Kotoko into the quarterfinals of the competition.

Kotoko should have won the match in the first half in which they squandered numerous chances to the consternation of their supporters who had thronged the stadium in their numbers. The homesters went straight into attack and Godfred Yeboah sent the ball across the goalmouth in the first minute while goalkeeper Arendse plucked the ball on the head of Micheal Osei in the second minute.

Kotoko gave the visitors no breather as they carried the game to them and in the fifth minute Arendse in desperation kicked a back pass to prowling Michael Osei but his pass to Shilla Alhassan caught him napping. Everything pointed to an early Kotoko lead but they squandered begging chances as in the 16th minute, Nana Arhin Duah missed from Stephen Oduro's pass from a free-kick just on the edge of the penalty box.

Then in the 23rd minute, Stephen Oduro operating from the right, cut through the Santos defence into the penalty box but shot feebly into the waiting hands of goalkeeper Arendse.

Santos re-organised themselves and put their act together and came very close in the 28th minute catching the Kotoko defence flat footed but they scrambled to clear the ball. The tall South Africans then started operating from the wings particularly where Solomons Jonathan dominated and after soaking the Kotoko pressure to the 33rd minute sent Ithier Jean-Narc on with a pass but he shot wide.

Kotoko regrouped and this time Stephen Oduro operating from the left again cut through the Santos defence but again shot feebly into the hands of goalkeeper Arendse just on the stroke of half time. It was obvious from the way Kotoko were missing these chances that something had to be done about the attack and it came as no surprise when Shilla Alhassan who was virtually a passenger was replaced by Nana Frimpong on resumption.

Santos also pulled out Mobata David and Xaba Thokozani for Manwetli Rocardo and Tyran Arendse in the 52nd minute and these changes seemed to have brought some bite into their play. They quickly seized the midfield winning the 50-50 balls and put Kotoko on the defensive and in one of their moves, earned a freekick in the 56th minute just outside the Kotoko penalty box.

Tsui Tebeho elected to take it and sent the ball into the Kotoko box, which caught the defence off-guard for Otieno Musa to slot home the opener. The goal sent a chill through the spines of the teeming supporters of the porcupine warriors as defeat stared them in the face.

Kotoko however did not give up and attacked from the right and in the 69th minute Nana Arhin Duah shot off target from skipper Godwin Ablordey's perfect pass after a good run on the right. They pressed on and in another foray, substitute Joe Louis equalised in a goalmouth action after collecting a pass from Arhin Duah to send the stadium alive again.

But the hearts of the supporters nearly stopped beating as on the stroke of full time Santos Otieno Musa hit the cross bar with scissors-kick from a cornerkick with the Kotoko defence once again caught wrong footed.

Summary
African club second round, second leg result:
Kumasi Asante Kotoko 1 (Joe Louis 81)
Santos (South Africa) 1 (Otieno 57)

Agg: 4-4, Kotoko win on away goals