Asante Kotoko needed a late penalty to beat Congolese side CARA Brazzaville 1-0 on Sunday at home in their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round qualifier.
Substitute Yakubu Mohammed managed to nail it in injury time after three previous spot kicks were squandered.
The visitors had a glorious opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty but goalkeeper Chansel Massa-who had saved twospot-kicks- missed from 18 yards as his opposite number Felix Annan saved.
Referee Issa SY from Senegal remains the star man for awarding five penalties in a match.
His first call was in the sixth minute but striker Saddick Adams had his effort saved by Massa.
The result means Kotoko must avoid defeat in the return fixture before they can progress to the next stage of the competition.
The winner of the two legged affair will then face either Ben Guerdane of Tunisia or Al Hilal Juba of South Sudan in the next round of the competition.
Dr Kwame Kyei, Chairman of Kotoko has already promised to reward each player with a two bedroom apartment should the team win this year's CAF Confederations Cup.
He also promised GH¢20,000 for each player if the team qualifies for the group stage.
Kotoko was in 2014 knocked- out of the CAF Champions League by Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) of Liberia Club in Monrovia.