For the third successive season, a debutant club will carry Ghana’s hopes in the CAF Champions League.
Two years ago, Medeama broke an 11-year drought by reaching the group stage, but Samartex fell short last season, bowing out in the second preliminary round to Morocco’s Raja Casablanca.
Now it is the turn of Bibiani GoldStars, whose maiden continental outing could hardly be tougher. They begin their campaign against Algeria’s record 14-time champions and two-time CAF Champions League winners, JS Kabylie, in the first preliminary round.
Head coach Frimpong Manso admits the scale of the challenge but insists his side is ready to compete.
“JSK are one of the strongest and most confident sides on the continent. In terms of experience, they are certainly ahead of us, as they have featured in the Champions League for many years. This is our first attempt,” he told Joy Sports.
“But that does not mean we will show them too much respect. We also need to begin our own journey towards becoming a club of their calibre. It will be a very difficult game, but we are determined to secure a strong first-leg result. Although they are a formidable side, we will not be intimidated.”
The Ghanaian champions have been putting in the work ahead of their continental debut. Their pre-season began in mid-July and included over a dozen friendlies, capped with victory in the GHALCA Top 4 competition. They also have two competitive fixtures under their belt, giving them valuable momentum.
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