BY ISAAC AMPONSAH (DR IKE) AND BRIGHT YEBOAH TAYLOR (BYT).

* The two teams have met three times in an African Inter Club Competitions.
Etoile du Sahel wins - 1
Goals scored             - 4
Asante Kotoko wins - 1
Goals scored             - 4
Drawn games            - 1

Tunisian clubs vs Ghanaian Clubs Head-to-Head since 1990
Total matches played - 25
Tunisian clubs wins    - 8
Goals scored                - 30
Ghanaian clubs wins  - 13
Goals scored                - 35
Drawn games                - 4

Tunisian clubs vs Ghanaian clubs Head-to-Head in Knock-out stage ( Including 2000 CAF Champions League Grand-Final)
Knock-out games played - 7
Tunisian clubs wins         - 4
Ghanaian Clubs wins      - 3

Head-to-Head on Tunisian soil
Total matches played - 12
Tunisian clubs wins    - 8
Goals scored                - 18
Ghanaian Clubs wins  - 2
Goals scored                - 7
Drawn games               - 2

Asante Kotoko Head-to-Head against Tunisian opponents
Total matches played - 5
Kotoko wins                 - 2
Goals scored                - 9
Tunisian clubs wins    - 2
Goals scored                - 8
Drawn game                 - 1

* 2006 CAF Champions League (Group Stage) [Week 1]
Saturday, 29th July, 2006
At Obuasi
Kotoko 4-2 CS Sfaxien

2nd Round (week 6)
17th September, 2006
CS Sfaxien 2-1 Asante Kotoko
Joe Tex Frimpong // Muntala Mohammed
Kouassi Blaise
NB: Red card - Michael Ofosu Appiah (Kotoko)

* 2008 CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage) [week 1]
17th August, 2008
Etoile du Sahel 2-0 Asante Kotoko
Emeka Opara 13th minutes
Emeka Opara 70th minutes.

2nd Round (Week 5)
Saturday, 4th October 2006
Kotoko 2-2 Etoile du Sahel.

* 2019/20 CAF Champions League (2nd Round)
15th September, 2019
Asante Kotoko 2-0 Etoile du Sahel
Augustine Okrah
Richard Arthur.

Etoile du Sahel vs Ghanaian teams Head-to-Head
Total matches played  - 13
Etoile du Sahel wins    - 6
Goals scored                - 18
Ghanaian clubs wins   - 5
Goals scored                - 14
Drawn games                - 2

* 1997 Cup Winners Cup (2nd Round)
4th May, 1997
Hearts of Oak 2-2 Etoile du Sahel
Desmond Amoah and Owusu Afriyie 'Bayie' scored Hearts goals. It was Beya Zoubeir of Etoile who scored first in the 9th minute.

2nd Leg
Etoile du Sahel 2-0 Hearts of Oak

* 1998 CAF Champions League (Group Stage)
26th August, 1998
Etoile du Sahel 2-1 Hearts of Oak

* 25th October, 1998
Hearts of Oak 3-2 Etoile du Sahel
Joe Fameyeh and Kenneth Sarpong's two goals win the day for Hearts. It was Santos Du Silva who scored first for Etoile on 52nd minutes. All the five goals came in the 2nd half.

* 2004 CAF Champions League (1/8th Stage) [1st Leg]
16th May, 2004
Hearts of Oak 1-0 Etoile du Sahel
Francis Bossman

* 30th May, 2004 (2nd Leg)
Etoile du Sahel 1-0 Hearts of Oak
Jedidi Mohammed 31st minute.
NB: Etoile du Sahel won 5-4 on penalties.
NB Bernard Don Bortey missed his kick for Hearts of Oak.

* 2006 CAF Champions League (1/8th Stage) [1st Leg]
22nd April, 2006
At Obuasi
Hearts of Oak 1-0 Etoile du Sahel
Reuben Senyo

* 7th May, 2006 (2nd Leg)
Etoile du Sahel 1-0 Hearts of Oak
Sabeur Ben Frej 90th minute.

NB: Hearts of Oak won 6-5 on penalties.
NB: Goalkeeper Laud Quartey saved Etoile last kick after Kwabena Boafo scored the six kck for Hearts of Oak.

* 2008 CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage [week 1]
17th August, 2008
Etoile du Sahel 2-0 Asante Kotoko
Emeka Opara 13th minute
Emeka Opara 70th minute.

* 4th October, 2008 (week 5)
Asante Kotoko 2-2 Etoile du Sahel
Kwabena Yaro and Eric Bekoe (pen) scored the Kotoko goals.

* 2011 CAF Confederations Cup
(1st Round) [1st Leg]
20th March, 2011
Etoile du Sahel 3-0 AshantiGold
Lamjed Chehoudi 43rd minute
Danilo Petrolli Bueno 65th and 90+4 minute.

* 3rd April, 2011 (2nd Leg)
AshantiGold 2-1 Etoile du Sahel
Theophilus Annobah scored all the two goals for AshantiGold.
Lamjed Chehoudi scored first for Etoile on the 60th minute.

* 2019/20 CAF Champions League (2nd Round) [1st Leg]
15th September, 2019
Asante Kotoko 2-0 Etoile du Sahel
Augustine Okrah
Richard Arthur

* Only Hearts of Oak has been able to eliminate Etoile du Sahel from an African Inter Club Competition.

* THE FIRST TIME ASANTE KOTOKO STEPPED IN NORTH AFRICA FOR AFRICA INTER CLUB GAME WAS 1969.
* That was Ismaily from Egypt. They came to Ghana in 1969 and played against Asante Kotoko on 19th November, 1969.
They drew 2-2 in Kumasi and won 3-2 in Egypt .It was a Semi-Final of the 1969 CAF Champions League.

* Since 1969, Asante Kotoko are yet to win a regulation time football game in North Africa.

DO YOU KNOW THAT ONLY HEARTS OF OAK AND KING FAISAL HAVE MANAGED TO WIN ON NORTH AFRICAN SOIL.
NB: It all happened in Tunisia soil and Saturday's as well.
 
* 2000 CAF Champions League (Grand-Final) [1st Leg]
2nd December, 2000
Esperance de Tunis 1-2 Hearts of Oak
Ali Zitouni scored first for Esperance 36th minute.
Hearts of Oak goals were scored by Ismael Addo and Emmanuel Osei Kuffour on 52nd and 79th minute respectively.

NB: Hearts of Oak played 10 against 11 from 65th minute.
NB: Referee Lim Kee Chong from Mauritius gave Amankwa Mireku a Red card on 65th minute.

Hearts of Oak lineup: Sammy Adjei, Yaw Amakwa Mireku, Jacob Netty, Edward Agyemang Duah, Stephen Tetteh, Joe Ansah, Charles Allotey, Lawrence Adjah Tetteh, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Ismael Addo, Charles Taylor.
Substitutes: Dan Quaye came in for Charles Allotey, Emmanuel Adjogu came in for Ismael Addo and Edmund Copson came in for Charles Taylor

* 15th October, 2005
CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage) [week 6]
AS Marsa (Tunisia) 1-2 King Faisal (Ghana)
Tarek Ben Chaeouaa reduced the deficit on 90+3 from a spot kick after Habib Mohammed 72nd and Eric Gawu 79th minute goals put King Faisal a two-nil lead.

King Faisal lineup: Suraji Mohammed, Prince Antwi, Bobie Ansah, Iddrisu Yahaya, Shilla Iliasu, Kwabena Poku, Ben Wilson, Abubakar Yahuza, Sumaila Alhassan, Eric Gawu and Habib Mohammed. Substitutes : Osei Boateng, Eric Ansah, Joseph Asumani, Ofosu Mickey, Edmund Owusu Preprah, Osman Sakora, Richard Agyei.

The Sacking of Coach Precedent
* In 2006, 10 days before Hearts Of Oak and Etoile du Sahel CAF Champions League 1/8th Final game which was the last time Hearts Of Oak qualified for the Champions League Group stage and the only time Etoile lost a knock-out stage against a Ghanaian opposition, they sack their coach MEHMED BAZDAREVIC FROM BOSNIA after 1-0 home defeat to USM Monastir in their Final League game which cost them the Tunisian Championship to Esperance de Tunis. Hearts Of Oak beat them 1-0 in Ghana and went away to defeat Etoile du Sahel on penalties after 1-1 aggregate scores.
They appointed Fauozi Benzarti to replaced Mehmed Bazdarevic and now Benzarti has been fired.

* The caretaker Coach is Imed Ben Younes who is a former Tunisian footballer. He scored Tunisia goal against Ghana in 1996 Africa Cup of Nations game in South Africa when Ghana beat Tunisia 2-1 in the Group. Abedi Pele and CK Ackonnor scored Ghana two goals.

Let's look at Asante Kotoko AWAY performance in the Month of SEPTEMBER in Africa

* 1966 CAF Champions League
25th September, 1966
Stade Abidjan 2-2 Asante Kotoko

* 1973 CAF Champions League
2nd September, 1973
Kwabwe Warriors 2-1 Asante Kotoko

* 1983 CAF Champions League
25th September, 1983
AS Bilima 2-0 Asante Kotoko

* 1985 Cup Winners Cup
AFC Leopards 2-0 Asante Kotoko

* 1987 CAF Champions League
6th September, 1987
Zamalek 2-0 Asante Kotoko

* 1990 CAF Champions League
9th September, 1990
Al Hilal 2-2 Asante Kotoko

* 1993 CAF Champions League
Nkana Red Devils 1-0 Asante Kotoko

* 2002 Cup Winners Cup
14th September, 2002
Ghazi Al Mahala 4-2 Asante Kotoko

* 2004 CAF Confederations Cup
11th September, 2004 (Group Stage)
Al Hilal 2-0 Asante Kotoko

* 2006 CAF Champions League
17th September, 2006 (Group Stage)
CS Sfaxien 2-1 Asante Kotoko

NOTE: Only Stade Abidjan 1966 and AFC Leopards 1985 has been able to eliminate Asante Kotoko from CAF Inter Club competition in the month of SEPTEMBER after Home and Away game in which one of the Leg was played on September.

Egyptian Referee factor on Asante Kotoko matches
* Referee Ibrahim Nour El Din born on 24th March, 1979 (40 years) from Egypt will be the center man for the game between Etoile Sportive du Sahel and Asante Kotoko.

* Since 1990, there has been Five Referees from Egypt who have officiated Asante Kotoko games in Africa Inter Club games.

* 1990 CAF Champions League
Al Hilal 2-2 Asante Kotoko
Referee El Babib Hassan (Egypt)

* 2002 Cup Winners Cup (Grand-Final) [2nd Leg]
Asante Kotoko 2-1 WAC of Morocco
Referee Gamal El Ghandour (Egypt)
NB: Asante Kotoko failed to win the trophy. WAC were winners of the Competition through an away goal rule after 2-2 aggregate.

* 2004 CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage)
Al Hilal 2-0 Asante Kotoko
Referee El Beltagy Reda (Egypt)

* 2018/19 CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage)
Al Hilal 1-0 Asante Kotoko
Referee Mahmoud El Banna (Egypt)

* 2018/19 CAF Confederations Cup (Group Stage)
Nkana 3-1 Asante Kotoko
Referee Ahmed El Ghandour (Egypt).

Let's look at should in case the game travels to penalties
NB Do you know that, Asante Kotoko have won just once in 12 penalty attempts in an African Inter Clubs Competition including WAFU final in 1986. They last won penalty shoot-out in 1971 (48 years ago).They have failed to win their last Eleven (11) attempts.

Ghanaian clubs going on the road with 2-0 victory

* 1979 CAF Champions League
Hearts of Oak 2-0 Real Banjul
Real Banjul      1-1 Hearts Of Oak.

* 1985 Cup Winners Cup (Quarter-Final) [1st Leg]
Asante Kotoko 2-0 AFC Leopards
AFC Leopards  2-0 Asante Kotoko
NB: AFC leopards won 5-4 on penalties.

* 1986 CAF Champions League (1st Leg)
Hearts of Oak 2-0 Walidan
2nd leg
Walidan            1-0 Hearts Of Oak

* 1987 Cup Winners Cup (1st Leg)
Okwawu United 2-0 AS Kalamu
2nd Leg
AS Kalamu         1-1 Okwawu United

* 1988 CAF Champions League
Asante Kotoko 2-0 FC 105 Gabon
FC 105 Gabon  2-0 Asante Kotoko
NB: FC 105 Gabon won 4-2 on penalties.

* 1990 Cup Winners Cup
Hearts of Oak 2-0 Club African
2nd Leg
Club African     2-0 Hearts Of Oak
NB: Club African won 6-5 on penalties to progressed to the next stage.

* 1997 CAF Cup
Asante Kotoko 2-0 Mangasport
2nd Leg
Mangasports   2-1 Asante Kotoko

* 1999 Cup Winners Cup
Asante Kotoko 2-0 Ndzimba
Ndzimba           2-1 Asante Kotoko

* 2002 Cup Winners Cup (1st Leg)
Asante Kotoko 2-0 Sonangol
2nd Leg
Sonangol          2-2 Asante Kotoko

* 2004 CAF Confederations Cup
Asante Kotoko 2-0 WAC
2nd leg
WAC                   1-1 Asante Kotoko

* 2007 CAF Champions League
Ashanti Gold 2-0 FAR Rabat
2nd Leg
FAR Rabat     2-0 Ashanti Gold
NB: FAR Rabat of Morocco won 7-6 on penalties.

* 2014 CAF Champions League
Berekum Chelsea 2-0 Atlabara
2nd Leg
Atlabara                 2-0 Berekum Chelsea
NB: Atlabara won 3-0 on penalties.

* 2014 CAF Confederations Cup
Ebusua Dwarfs 2-0 Petro Atletico
Petro Atletico   4-0 Ebusua  Dwarfs

* 2014 CAF Confederations Cup
Medeama SC 2-0 Zesco United
Zesco United 1-0 Medeama SC

NOTE: It has happened on Fourteen occasions in which Ghanaian team is going on the road with 2-0 1st Leg victory in a knock-out stage. Out of the Fourteen, clubs from Ghana have progressed on Eight occasions and have been eliminated on Six occasions.

NB: Out of the Six in which Clubs from Ghana have failed to progress, Five of them were decided on penalties.