It was drama on Sunday at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi where Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko faced Congolese side Cara Brazzaville in their 2018 CAF Confederation Cup first leg preliminary game.
Substitute Yakubu Mohammed scored the game’s only goal in second half stoppage time from the penalty spot, the game’s fifth spot kick awarded by referee Issa Sly.
Four of the five penalties were awarded to the host team, Kotoko by the Senegalese arbiter but the visitors also spurned their own chance when handed a penalty in the second half.
Mr Sly made his intentions of making it a day of penalties well known early on as he pointed to the spot in the fifth minute for a handball incident against a defender from the visiting team.
Striker Saddick Adams however fired wide from twelve yards.
Attacker Kwame Boahene then won two penalties for his side within ten second half minutes.
The first came on the hour but Kotoko captain Amos Frimpong’s tame effort was saved by Cara goalkeeper Chansel Massa before Massa once again denied Baba Mahama on seventy minutes.
Cara would then have a share of the penalty bonanza goalkeeper Massa stepped up to take but his opposite number, Felix Annan denied the Congolese side the chance to take a shock lead.
The final penalty of the game however came in stoppage time and substitute Mohammed delivered his side with an emphatic strike.
The win regardless, Kotoko will go into the second leg in Brazzaville with a slender advantage, needing to go back to school for lectures on conversion from the spot.
