Asante Kotoko CK Akonnor was left satisfied after his side drew 0-0 with Kenya's Kariobangi Sharks in the first leg of Caf Confederation Cup round-of-32 clash on Saturday.
The Porcupine Warriors produced a resolute performance to avoid defeat in Nairobi, giving themselves a better chance of progressing to the last 16 of the competition.
Kotoko will qualify with a victory in the second leg in Kumasi while Kariobangi needs a scoring draw or win to advance.
“We are satisfied with the result because we didn’t lose,” says Akonnor. "We could have won because we had chances to score. We came here to get a good result, meaning we can be satisfied with a draw or win.”
“I don’t want to be too selfish. This was an away match. We have to go back home, do a bit of homework and find a method to win the second leg.”
“We are not going to relax”, stressed Akonnor. “The target is to qualify for the next stage and we are going to work hard to achieve that.”
Kariobangi Sharks qualified for this round with a 9-2 goal aggregate win over Djibouti’s Alter Solar, and though Akonnor admits that they are a solid side, the coach insists he knows how to eliminate them.
"The last time they played here, it was a 6-1 win. It’s a team that has known each other for a long time. Tactically, we were disciplined. They played to their strength. What they did today was all they could give because we also made it difficult for them. I know what to do win in Ghana.”