Asante Kotoko winger Emmanuel Gyamfi
Asante Kotoko winger Emmanuel Gyamfi has stated their desire to "give everything" to make the next stage of the Caf Champions League ahead of their preliminary first round showdown with Kano Pillars of Nigeria.
On their return to the elite continental inter-club competition for the first time since 2015, the Ghanaian giants are set to face Masu Gida away in their first assignment on August 10, two weeks before hosting the return fixture in Kumasi.
Kotoko won the Ghana Special Competition last season to qualify for the Champions League.
“We were open to meeting any team but we didn’t want to face a north African team," Gyamfi said as reported by Footballmadeinghana.
"The draw, I would say, gave us the kind of opponent we wanted. We are both West African clubs.
"Our style of play is quite identical so the opposition would not be too difficult.
“It surely won’t be easy for us but we are bent on qualifying and so will give everything.”
The winner of the two-legged tie face Hafia FC of Guinea or Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel in the next round.
Kotoko 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.
