Asante Kotoko assistant coach David Ocloo has extended an apology to Ghanaians, urging forgiveness in the aftermath of the Porcupine Warriors' defeat to Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas in the 2024 President's Cup.

ASEC Mimosas secured a 2-1 victory at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Tuesday, marking Kotoko's second consecutive loss in the competition after last year's defeat to rivals Hearts of Oak.

In a post-match statement, Ocloo expressed his disappointment and acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat, stating, "It is very disappointing, and hard to take, we planned to make Ghana proud today. They should forgive us. We respected them too much in the first half. Our second half was very good."

The Ivorian team's proactive and determined performance in the first half led to two crucial goals, setting the tone for their triumph in the special match held as part of Ghana's 67th Independence Day celebrations.

While Asante Kotoko displayed a stronger performance in the second half, it was not enough to overturn the deficit.

Kotoko, who are currently positioned second on the league log are gearing up for a crucial encounter against Karela United on Saturday afternoon.