Asante Kotoko coach, Kjetil Zachariassen is not worried about the uncertainty surrounding the availability of star players Songnè Yacouba and Abdul Fatawu Safiu for their 2019 Caf Champions League campaign which begins next week.
The Porcupine Warriors travel to face Kano Pillars in a preliminary round first leg encounter in Northern Nigeria on August 10.
But the prolific forwards have largely missed preparations under the new coach. While wantaway Yacouba is yet to report for the already month-long preseason preparations, Fatawu left midstream to pursue a deal with Swedish giants Helsingborgs IF.
Yacouba was reported to be returning from his homeland Burkina Faso earlier this past Tuesday while Fatawu has been recalled from the Helsingborgs trials since last week following transfer terms deemed insulting offered to Kotoko. As at the beginning of the new month – August, neither players is back.
Speaking after firing blanks in a warmup match at home to Ivorian champions Sociéte Omnisports de l’Armée Wednesday, the Kotoko gaffer says his concentration on players readily available
“At the moment, we are playing with the players we have here and we cannot think about those who are not here, so we work very hard every day to establish a good team,” Zachariassen stated after the game.
“At the moment, we have two good teams we can use in Nigeria, so with that aspect we are happy and if they [Yacouba and Fatawu] come, they will be a plus,” he added.
Asante Kotoko have made some acquisitions in an attempt to replace the star duo who they envisaged will be sold this summer transfer window. But the new strikers – Richard Arthur and George Abege – are yet to hit the ground running in two high-profile international friendlies played so far.
