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Caf Champions League: Nouadhibou coach Njoya reacts to Asante Kotoko draw
The Orange Club boss shares his thoughts on being pitted against the Porcupine Warriors in continental action
Nouadhibou head coach Mauril Njoya has revealed his initial reaction upon drawing Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko in the Caf Champions League was that of fear.
The Mauritanian club is set to face the 1983 champions in the preliminary round of the continental competition for a place in the first round.
The draw for the qualifying phase of the championship was conducted in Egypt on Monday.
"I will be very glad to welcome Asante Kotoko to Mauritania. I love Ghana a lot even though I have not been there before," Njoya told Ashh FM.
"When I got the information that we are playing Asante Kotoko, my [feeling] was in two phases.
"First, I was afraid to meet Asante Kotoko and secondly, I was very happy coming to Ghana for the first time.
"I'm not saying I'm scared [and that] I can't beat Asante Kotoko but I respect them because they are one of the best teams in Africa and they perform very well every season.
"There is absolutely no pressure on us because we are a 20-year-old club with a lot of experience."
Nouadhibou are the Mauritania Ligue 1 cup holders, their eighth time winning the national league.
The Orange Club will host Kotoko for the first first leg tie on November 27-29, a week before travelling to Ghana for the reverse tie.
The aggregate winners will lock horns with the ultimate victors of the match between Al Hilal Club of Sudan and Ugandan outfit Vipers in December and January.
Kotoko, meanwhile, have set their sights on beating the Mauritanian outfit to the qualifying first round ticket.
Last season, the Porcupine Warriors featured in the Champions League where they were eliminated in the first round by Tunisian fold Etoile du Sahel.
They have not reached the group stage of the competition since 2006, two years after reaching the final of the Caf Confederation Cup.
The first of their two Champions League titles came in 1970 when they beat Congolese outfit TP Englebert to lift the cup.
Kotoko are the most successful club in the history of the Ghana Premier League, having won 23 titles.
