Asante Kotoko skipper Felix Annan says the fans have a vital role to play in the return leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round tie against Kano Pillars.

The Porcupine Warriors need to overturn 3-2 deficit after losing the first leg in Nigeria a fortnight ago.

Annan is counting on the support of the Kumasi crowd when the Ghana Premier League giants host Masu Gida at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.

“We need the fans now than ever,” said Annan. “At stages like this, we cannot do without their presence and support. One of the reasons we are feared and revered is because of our huge support base and the fact that we can make the Baba Yara Stadium an uncomfortable place,” he told Kotoko Express.

“That is what we want to see on Sunday; the kind of noise that destabilises the opponent. The stadium was packed and also full of noise when we played Kano Pillars in Nigeria,” he continued.

“The Sani Abacha Stadium is only 16, 000 capacity while ours is nearly 40,000. We must paint the stadium red, make it noisier to show Kano Pillars that they don’t come close to us in terms of support.”