Obuasi, Aug 14, GNA - Emmanuel K. Afranie, head coach of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club has said that the Club will qualify to the semi-final stage of this year's MTN/CAF champions League notwithstanding the stiff opposition they would face in the second round of the competition.

Kotoko relinquished their top position in Group 91A' on Sunday when they were held to a pulsating goalless drawn game by El-Ahly of Egypt at the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium. CS Sfaxien of Tunisia who were recently defeated by Kotoko are now on top of the group with six points after they accounted for JS Kabylie of Algeria 1-0 at the latter's home grounds in their match later in the day.

Coach Afranie in a post interview with the GNA Sports after the match said the team's focus will not be diverted by any of the set-backs they had suffered since the competition started. He therefore urged supporters of the Club not to be overly disturbed about the Club's inability to consolidate their lead in the group on Sunday.

Whilst commending the El-Ahly players for their sense of determination, the Kotoko coach expressed optimism that his side will record a convincing win in their second round encounter in Egypt.

"I am confident that my players are capable of holding their own against any opposition irrespective of whether we are playing at home or away", he said.

Coach Afranie debunked the perception among certain supporters of the Club that wrong tactical approach to the game accounted for their drawn game with Eh-Ahly, saying, "My players played to the instructions I gave them and I commend them for that even though we could not score".

Meanwhile, Manuel Gozee, coach of El-Ahly has also expressed optimism that the team will make it to the next stage of the competition saying they were working hard to win all their matches when the second round commences.

"We have been trying to put our pieces together after the injury of some key players, which had slightly affected our performance since the competition started", he told the GNA Sports after their match against Kotoko.

Coach Gozee took a swipe at his strikers for missing some chances which he said could have given his side the three maximum points. He, however, praised his defence for managing to hold their own against Kotoko's attackers, saying, this enabled the team to snatch at least a point despite that the odds were against them in their away match.

After the first round of matches in the competition, CS Sfaxien are on top of Group 91A' with six points followed by Kotoko who are on four points with superior goals aggregate as against El-Ahly who are also on four points and lie third on the table whiles JS Kabylie are last on the table with three points.