CAFCC: WAC thump Asante Kotoko 5-1 to seal a place in Group stages

Asante Kotoko’s 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday night as they suffered a humbling 5–1 defeat to Wydad Athletic Club at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, sealing a 6–1 aggregate loss in the second preliminary round.

Despite a moment of hope when captain Samba O’Neil headed home an equaliser in the 19th minute, the Moroccan giants responded with ruthless efficiency, scoring four more goals to book their place in the group stage.

Match Summary

• 1’: Hamza Hannouri opened the scoring with a powerful header, setting the tone early.


• 19’: Samba O’Neil equalised for Kotoko with a towering header from Lord Amoah’s corner.


• 25’: Stephane Aziz Ki restored Wydad’s lead after a defensive error, assisted by Thembinkosi Lorch.


• 53’: Lorch converted a penalty to make it 3–1 after Aziz Dari conceded a foul in the box.


• 85’ & 90’+: Oussama Zemraoui and Mohammed Bouchoua added the final blows as Kotoko’s resistance crumbled.

Wydad’s interpositional fluidity and pressing overwhelmed Kotoko’s midfield as Kotoko’s inexperience and defensive lapses were brutally punished by the Moroccan side. Despite brief spells of promise, the Ghanaian side struggled to string passes or maintain composure under pressure as they fell at the mercy of the dominance of the home side.

The tie ended in a 6-1 heavy loss on aggregate for Asante Kotoko after already suffering a 1-0 defeat to Wydad Athletic in the first leg in Accra.

Head coach Karim Zito and his charges will now shift their focus on the Ghana Premier League and also the upcoming MTN FA Cup competition as they hope to grab their first league title in three years after the 2021/2022 season and also look to defend their MTN FA Cup title.