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By Michael Balogun
In a match that had all the drama, goals, and grit expected of continental football, Kwara United began their 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup journey with a pulsating 4–3 defeat to Ghana’s Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
It was the first leg of the preliminary round, but the intensity on display could have passed for a final. Both teams came out swinging, and from the first whistle, it was clear the crowd was in for a spectacle.
Asante Kotoko struck first, with Emmanuel Antwi breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute. But the response from the visitors was swift and composed. Just six minutes later, Johnmark Aule finished off a well-delivered cross from Kabiru Muhammed, pulling Kwara United level and silencing the home crowd momentarily.
The match remained finely poised until the brink of halftime, when a miscommunication in Kwara’s defense handed Kotoko a golden chance. Hubert Gyalu didn’t miss, putting the hosts 2–1 ahead in the 45th minute. But again, Kwara United showed resolve. In stoppage time, Aule struck again to complete his brace, ensuring the Nigerian side went into the break at 2–2.
The second half opened with more fireworks. Barely two minutes in, Joseph Ablorh rose highest to head in Kotoko’s third from a corner. Then came another blow in the 69th minute, when a penalty was awarded to the hosts converted confidently by Gyalu to make it 4–2.
Yet Kwara United refused to go quietly in the 87th minute, substitute Shola Abdulraheem finished a flowing move initiated by Junior Aimufua, slotting home to reduce the deficit. The final whistle came with the scoreboard reading 4–3 a result that leaves everything to play for in the return leg.
Speaking after the match, Coach Tunde Sanni, representing Head Coach Godwin Onyewuchi Nonsike, praised his players’ commitment and tactical discipline, expressing confidence that the team would overturn the narrow loss in the second leg.
Support wasn’t just coming from the touchline. Shortly after the match, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq paid a visit to the team at their hotel in Accra. He lauded their fighting spirit and urged them to “finish the job” when they return home.
The crucial second leg is scheduled for Sunday at the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta, where the Harmony Boys will aim to capitalize on home advantage, overturn the deficit, and seal progression to the next round of Africa’s second-tier club competition.
With a performance full of heart and promise in Ghana, Kwara United have shown they are not just participants but contenders.
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