Kwara United General Manager, Mallam Bashir Badawiy, has sent a confident but somewhat playful message to Asante Kotoko ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup clash, urging the Ghanaian giants to “take it easy” but warning that the Nigerians are coming with a clear goal to win the trophy.
Speaking on Akoma 87.9 FM, Badawiy said his team is unfazed by Kotoko’s pedigree and the intimidating atmosphere expected at Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
“You (Kotoko) are a big team now, so take it easy with us. But we are coming to play football, and our target is to win the cup,” he said.
“Our message to our fans in Ghana is to prepare to welcome the Confederation Cup trophy to Nigeria and to join us on September 19 to cheer Kwara United to victory.”
The Nigerian side’s GM stressed that crowd size and noise have never been a problem for his team, recalling tough away games in Sudan and Morocco.
“We were in Sudan with a full-capacity crowd. We also played in Berkane, Morocco, against one of the best clubs there, and we almost qualified,” Badawiy noted.
“It’s not about the crowd; it’s about mentality. If you can’t play in front of a big crowd, it’s like you can’t dance in the market. Even if it’s 500,000 fans at the Maracanã, let the whole world see what you can do.”
Kwara United will visit Kumasi between September 19–21 for the first leg before hosting Kotoko in Nigeria the following week. The aggregate winner will advance to face Morocco’s Wydad AC in the next round
