Black Meteors coach Ibrahim Tanko believes lack of football activities in the country contributed to Asante Kotoko exit from the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Porcupine Warriors were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup following a 2-1 defeat to Zambian giants ZESCO United in Ndola last Sunday.
According to coach Tanko, who is preparing the Black Meteors for the crucial Africa U-23 qualifier against Gabon, insisted that the Kumasi-based side could have progressed beyond the group stages had they had enough match sharpness.
"It has affected everything that has to do with football and playing football in Ghana. We all saw it in Asante Kotoko’s performance in the CAF Confederations Cup where they exited at the Group stage," Tanko stated.
"Many believe that if we had some football activity in the country, perhaps they would have progressed further into the quarterfinals. It’s a problem for almost every coach especially those of us who don’t only depend on the foreign players. Without competition, it’s difficult to keep the players fit for games."
The former FC Koln deputy coach was quizzed if he's facing the same problem with the U-23 side ahead of the match against Gabon.
He said, Those we invite for camping, we all see that they lack match fitness and we have to work around them to get the best out of them in matches."