Asante Kotoko Head Coach Maxwell Konadu has charged his team to rise to the occasion when they face off against FC Nouadhibou on Sunday.

Kotoko face the Mauritanian champions in the first leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary stage qualifier.

The game comes against a tricky opponent whose few years in the game has earned them some level of respect.

According to Maxwell Konadu, the game across the continent has evolved to a stage where there are no minnows hence his side won’t rely on history to lift them in the encounter.

“African football has come of age, there are no minnows hence it will be totally wrong for any one to boldly declare any game as a walkover,” Coach Konadu said.

“The statistics reveal that the team [FC Nouadhibou] might not have existed for long but their exploits on the African continent should tell you that you underrate them at your own peril.

“We don’t want to underrate any team. Our team has not performed to the level of the past times and so we want to rediscover our lost glory.

Maxwell Konadu has enumerated a couple of factors he believe will be key in determining how the game pans out.

“Our opponents have a lot of players in the national team. About 6, they have other foreign players in their squad. So this should make us aware that they are not a bad side,” he noted.

“The fact that they play on an AstroTurf pitch is also a factor.

“So with all these combined, we should be aware that they are a good side.

“Personally I have watched them several times and I know what they can do. We have to really prepare very well and know that we are going to face a good team,” he emphasized.

For Kotoko to succeed, Maxwell Konadu wants his team to rise to the occasion and deliver a performance laden with hard work and sheer determination.

“We must rise to the occasion and show them we also understand well the African game.

“We must work hard and face them head-on and make sure we overcome them and get the necessary results to qualify,” he concluded.

The game kicks off on Sunday, November 29 at 4.pm GMT.