ASCK put collective strength to the test against ASEC Mimosas in CAF Champions League

ASCK will rely on the strength of their squad when they host ASEC Mimosas in the first leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary first round on Sunday, with the Togolese champions determined to make their eighth African campaign the one in which they finally reach the group stage.

The match in Lome represents a significant test for ASCK, who face one of West Africa’s most decorated clubs. However, the club from Kara are approaching the tie with clear ambitions and believe they are better prepared than in previous continental campaigns.

Speaking at Saturday’s pre-match news conference, the ASCK coach said the club’s experience over the past decade had created an expectation that they must now make progress in Africa.

“In ten years in the top flight of Togo, ASCK are making their eighth appearance in African competitions. Five were in the CAF Confederation Cup and this is their third in the Champions League. Of course, for a club that aspires to grow, it is high time to take this step, and that step is to succeed in reaching the group stage. We have given ourselves the means to prepare for this competition… I think we have learned enough and today we believe we are in better conditions. This eighth appearance must inevitably lead us, but it is an obligation, to finally move up a level.”

ASCK’s approach will be built around their collective rather than any individual player. The Togolese champions do not intend to depend on a single star against ASEC Mimosas, instead trusting a squad whose defensive and attacking contributions are shared across the team.

“You who follow ASCK know that we were crowned champions of Togo and we have never depended on one player. We do not have a star in our team. ASCK is first and foremost about our collective. The proof is that we finished last season with the best attack and the best defence in the league. And when you look at the goals scored, all my defenders, all my midfielders and all my attackers scored, and that is an asset. We will rely on this collective to approach this match against ASEC.”

That balance was a defining feature of ASCK’s title-winning campaign. Their best attack and strongest defence provided evidence of a team capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch, while the spread of goals throughout the squad underlined the importance of their collective system.

Sunday’s meeting in Lome will provide the first opportunity to see whether that unity can withstand the challenge posed by ASEC Mimosas. For ASCK, the two-legged tie is more than another appearance in African competition. It is a chance to turn years of participation into tangible progress and reach the group stage for the first time.