Caf Confederation Cup: Asante Kotoko 2-1 Zesco United: Five things we learned

Asante Kotoko is back in the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup after a 2-1 home victory against Zesco United of Zambia at Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Wednesday.

The goals of Kwame Bonsu and Emmanuel Gyamfi restored the Porcupine Warriors' win after their defeat on the first day.

Zesco, who missed a penalty in the first half, was comforted by Ghanaian rookie Rahim Osumanu.

The result, combined with Nkana FC's 2-1 win at home against Al Hilal Omdurman in the group's first leg, allowed the four Group C teams to position themselves at three points on day three.

Here are some observations of the Kotoko-Zesco showdown:

The central defense in ruins
It's a nightmare campaign for Abdul Ganiyu and Agyemang Badu, Kotoko's central defender. Spoken on several occasions, especially during the first day against Al Hilal, where they were caught sleeping while Waleed Hamid scored for the Sudanese, the two men were again guilty of murder. have reacted late, Rahim Osumanu Zesco. At the post-game conference, Charles 'CK' Akonnor, Kotoko's coach, said he's worried about conceding in all three home games played in Africa so far this season.

Annan will be the key
As Ganiyu and Badu struggle, Annan continues to cover herself with glory. On Wednesday, the striker was unable to avoid Jackson Were and Simon Silwimba's reflex to push his head was pushed back to six minutes from the end of the match. The 24-year-old, who avoided two of the last three regulation time penalties in Caf's inter-club competitions, was congratulated by Akonnor after the match. Without a doubt, the path traveled by Kotoko in Africa will be for many.

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The mystery of Yacouba continues
The Burkinabe was as impressive as disappointing Wednesday. If this statement leaves you puzzled, you find yourself in exactly the same state as many of the Porcupine faithful who invaded Baba Yara Stadium. With an exceptional work pace, the attacker was a constant threat to Zesco's defense, his impact being highlighted by the setting up of these two goals for Kotoko. On the other hand, he was found guilty of wasting many chances, some easier to score than to miss. His performance, which garnered praise and criticism after the match, was a perfect reflection of his stay in Africa so far this season. As impressive as he looked with five badists to his name, it was boring to find the back of the net.

Kotoko does not yet look like a title winner
Kotoko really worked on Wednesday. And that has been pretty much the case in all four games won in Africa so far this season. True, they have a decent coach and an excellent goalkeeper, but you will need more than that to conquer the continent. Their defense has been a worrying point since the beginning, with the midfielder occasionally visiting the group while their attack was far from ruthless. And the cohesion of the team needs to be improved as they often seemed short of ideas and short of ideas. Zesco coach George Lwandamina described the Porcupine warriors as "ordinary" after the match, and the truth is that he did not lie.

Zesco will have a lot of problems in Zambia
Zesco entered Wednesday's game after a 2-0 win over Nkana FC on day one of the group stage, and a lot of talk about their dangerousness and talent. They may not have gotten three points, if not one, in Kumasi, but they have shown enough that they would be difficult to play at home. They created good scoring opportunities, had solid control of the game on some occasions and, indeed, if Jesse had been converted to a penalty in the first half, the outcome of the match could have been totally different. Zega Mambo will really be a force to be reckoned with in the group.