After winning the Champions League in 1970 and 1983 and losing five finals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko has not won the trophy again. Kotoko last played in the final in 1993 and lost to Zamalek on penalties.
However, the two times CAF Champions League winners would have won the 1971 Champions League which was called Champions Cup at that time (the name was changed to Champions League in 1997) if it had been played today and that one would have been their second trophy.
The CAF Champions League trophy
The 1971 grand finale was Kotoko’s third appearance at that stage and The Porcupine Warriors lost the trophy because of a rule that was not part of the game at that time.
Kotoko had its first taste of the Champions League final in 1967 but they lost to Congolese club, Tout Puissant Englebert now Tout Puissant Mazembe popularly called TP Mazembe. The trophy was TP Mazembe’s first Champions League trophy and since then they have won five out of the seven finals they have been to.
Both the first and second leg ended in a 1-1 and 2-2 (after extra time) respectively and the referee after the end of the second leg game said lots would be drawn the following day to decide who has won the trophy, but the General Secretary of CAF at that time came and informed the referee and the teams that a third game would be played at a later date to determine the winner. The match was slated for 27 December 1967 at the Stade Akwa in Douala, Cameroon. Asante Kotoko did not show up and TP Englebert was declared winners. Kotoko failed to show up because the Ghana Football Association did not inform them of the date.
The Porcupine Warriors appeared in the 1970 finals and this time around, they won the trophy. In the 1970 finals, Kotoko again met TP Englebert. The first leg was played at the Kumasi Sports Stadium now Baba Yara Sports Stadium on 10 January 1970 and it ended one-all. Abukari Gariba scored the first goal for Kotoko in the 34th minute and Pierre Kalala equalized for Englebert in the 50th minute.
The return leg was played on the 20th January 1970 at the 20 May Stadium now Stade Tata Raphael in the Republic of Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Abukari Gariba again scored the first goal in the 12th minute, Martin Kamunda Tshinabu made it one-all in the 19th minute and the in 80th minute Malik Jibril scored the winning goal for Kotoko.
Kotoko made it to the finals again in 1971. This time around, Kotoko faced Canon Kpakum Yaoundé. Canon Yaounde beat AS Solidarite 9-4 on aggregate. Kotoko did not play in the first round of the competition.
In the second round, Kotoko won 5-4 on penalties against Sudanese club, Al-Merrikh. Kotoko won the first leg 2-1 and lost he second leg by a goal to nil. Canon Yaounde also qualified to the next stage after beating AS Vita Club 4-3 on penalties. Canon Yaounde lost the first leg 2-0 and won the second leg 3-1.
The two clubs progressed to the quarter-final stage and Kotoko won 3-0 on aggregate against Egyptian club, Al-Ismaily. The first leg ended goalless in Kumasi and Kotoko went to Egypt to beat the Ismaily 3-0. Canon Yaounde also beat Dynamic Togolais 6-4 on aggregate. They won both the first leg and second leg 2-1 and 4-3 respectively.
The semi-final became a West African affair as Kotoko met their rivals from Ghana, Accra Great Olympics while Canon Yaounde played against Ivorian giants, ASEC Mimosas. Canon Yaounde lost the first leg 2-1 and won the second leg 1-4 and made it to the final 5-3 on aggregate.
Kotoko also beat Olympics 2-1 on aggregate after the first leg ended one-all and won the second leg by a goal to nil.
So that was Kotoko and Canon Yaounde’s road to the final.
On December 5 1971, Kotoko beat Canon Yaounde 3-0 at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. Abukari Gariba scored two goals (15th and 60th minutes) and Essuman added the third one.
The second leg was played on 19 December 1971 at the Stade Militaire de Yaounde and Canon Yaounde won 2-0.
However, at that time winning on goals aggregate in the final was part of the rules of the game yet so the game had to be replayed. For a team to win the trophy, the team had to win both matches or draw one, thus, it was won on points.
Unlike the 1967 final where a neutral ground was chosen for the game to be played again, the third leg of 1971 final was played at the Stade Militaire de Yaounde, Canon Yaounde’s home ground. In the 72nd minute, Eteme scored for Canon Yaounde and in the 82nd minute, the fans of Canon Yaounde invaded the pitch as the pressure from Kotoko was too much for them to bear. The fans did not allow the game to continue again and Canon Yaounde was crowned the Champions of Africa.
After playing the finals for two consecutive years and winning only one, Kotoko went to the finals again 1973 and lost to AS Vita Club in 1982 and lost to Egyptian side Al Ahly. Both clubs met again the following year and Kotoko won the trophy for the second time.
After playing the finals for two consecutive years and winning only one, Kotoko went to the finals again in 1973 and lost to AS Vita Club and then Egyptian side, Al Ahly in 1982. Ahly and Kotoko met again the following year and Kotoko won the trophy for the second time.
Winning on goal aggregate rule was introduced after 1971 final, therefore, had the game been play after 1971, Kotoko would have been crowned Champions.
And as it stands now, Kotoko has lost more CAF Champions League finals than any other team since the competition started in 1964. Al Ahly and Esperance Sportive de Tunis have both lost four finals but both clubs have 8 and 4 trophies respectively in their coffers.
by: Nana Asabere
