The playing body of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, officials and Ghanaian journalists who travelled with the team have been brutally manhandled in Congo Brazzaville ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup clash with CARA Brazaville according to reports emerging from Congo.

Asante Kotoko will be locking horns with CARA in the return leg of the CAF Confederation Cup on Wednesday.

Reports from Congo indicate that the Kotoko side had stepped out to hold their one hour mandatory training session a day before the clash but the side were stopped by irate fans of the home side for no apparent reason.

The skirmishes left the media and the Kotoko side stranded forcing security personnel to march the playing body safely to their hotel to rest.

Kotoko has officially lodged complaint to CAF as there is a tensed atmosphere in Congo Brazzaville with the Congolese police investigating the occurrence.

Some Ghanaian journalists in Congo to cover the game have been denied accreditation and have been sternly warned by CARA fans not to attempt a live coverage of the match on Wednesday, February 21.

The players have however been taken to their hotel and are poised for action (Wednesday).

"We have been brutally assaulted, I was personally beaten up likewise the players, but the situation is currently under control and the players have been marched safely to their hotel where they are relaxing and focusing on the match tomorrow ", Obed Acheampong, Communications Director for Kotoko told FOX 97.9 FM.

Regarding the safety of the playing body and the technical team in their hotel, Obed assured that all is under control and the club is currently working on securing a private security outfit to strengthen the existing security at the hotel.

"We are safe at the hotel now but management is in talks with a private security institution to boost the security at the hotel", Obed assured.

Some Congolese nationals, believed to be fans of CARA, also manoeuvred their way into the team's bus, and soiled each seat with an oily liquid before dropping pieces of pork under each seat in the Kotoko team's bus.

Asante Kotoko seeks to eliminate the Congolese side in the return encounter tomorrow after scrapping to a 1-0 victory in Kumasi on February 11.