Asante Kotoko chief executive officer George Amoako has expressed the club's delight with new head coach Kjetil Zachariassen ahead of their Caf Champions League showdown with Kano Pillars of Nigeria.

The Norwegian was handed the Porcupine Warriors job earlier this month, taking the place of Charles Akonnor, who has been re-assigned to a new role as technical director.

Kjetil's first task will be to help Kotoko overcome Pillars in a preliminary first round two-legged tie next month.

"The coach [Zachariassen] needs ample time to set his philosophy on the team," Amoako told Light FM.

"He has played just a match and by our assessment of that game, we were impressed so I think we are on the right course.

"We have taken note of the necessary needs of the players as we travel to Kano next month.

"We have ordered for the right boots to acclimatise to the AstroTurf and the weather."

Kotoko will face Pillars away at the Sani Abacha Stadium in the first leg on August 10, two weeks before the return fixture in Kumasi.

They will be hoping to surpass their performance on their last appearance in the Champions League, when they suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of Algerian club MC El Euma in 2015.

Last season, the Porcupines competed in the Confederation Cup, where they reached the Group Stage.