All looked rosy for Asante Kotoko in Congo until Tuesday when the Ghanaian side were given a hostile reception by their hosts Cara Brazzaville ahead of their Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round return leg match.
Contrary to earlier fears of unnecessary delays upon arrival at the Maya-Maya Airport Monday night (as it happened to the Ghana national team, Black Stars months ago), the Porcupine Warriors spent just 20 minutes to complete formalities and checked into nearby Hotel Olympic Palace.
Come the afternoon, Kotoko made their way to the match venue, Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat for a mandatory one-hour training as stipulated in the Caf regulations.
But the team and officials met an unfriendly atmosphere as they got heckled by suspected Cara fans who stormed the venue to stop the team from training. According to them, Kotoko started their training too early, preventing them from performing ‘rituals’ that were supposed to take place. Kotoko players however stood their grounds and insisted on training.
CONGO – THE JUNGLE!
Officials and fans of CARA FC heckling officials and players of Asante Kotoko. We are unperturbed by these antics and focused on the game tomorrow. The players responded with songs of praise to the Lord and are determined to win. #AKSC #CAFCC pic.twitter.com/VV818ielSs
— Asante Kotoko SC (@AsanteKotoko_SC) February 20, 2018
Per accounts by Kotoko officials, the intimidation continued after the team finally exhausted their mandated time for the training session.
“I’m very surprised at what is happening here in Congo. It becomes disheartening when an FA personnel from Congo leads supporters to do such things like pouring liquid from pigs into our bus and you can see how our players reacted by singing and mark it we will win,” Kotoko’s head of leagal affairs, Yaw Boafo alleged in an interview with Oyerepa FM.
Kotoko could not travel back to their team hotel on the official vehicle designated for them after they found out that these fans believed to be of Cara maneuvered their way into the bus and soiled each seat with ‘an oily liquid and pieces of meat suspected to be pork.’ They had to be packed in two V8 cars after consulting the Ghana Embassy in Congo for an alternative arrangement.
The club’s official twitter handle added:
CONGO – THE JUNGLE
The players sang to while away time as they waited for the GH Ambassadors Vehicles🙌
Morale wom!! 😙😙#AKSC #CAFCC pic.twitter.com/zW4pWPRsvd
— Asante Kotoko SC (@AsanteKotoko_SC) February 20, 2018
CONGO – THE JUNGLE (2)
Players of Asante Kotoko being transported by two V8'S provided by the Ghana mission in Congo. After their bus stained with pig waste and other unprintable stuff!
But ……👇👇
Okyina yɛ bɛ hyɛ wɔn ruff! 😆#AKSC #CAFCC pic.twitter.com/a0pONY3Eq4
— Asante Kotoko SC (@AsanteKotoko_SC) February 20, 2018
The Porcupine Warriors have made an official complaint to the Confederation of African Football (Caf), says Thomas Boakye-Agyeman, management member in charge of international relations.
“Asante Kotoko has lodged an official complaint to Caf through GFA on happenings at Congo and we are lodging a complaint against the head of security also,” he told Oyerepa FM.
Cara Brazzaville host the Porcupine Warriors on Wednesday trailing 1-0 from the first leg. Lebalang Martin Moketo from Lesotho is the referee for the match. Kickoff is at 14:30 GMT.
