Football
Daniel Ekonde, Special to ESPN 5y

Asante Kotoko handed CAF Confederation Cup bye

Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko have been handed a bye to the First Round of the 2018/2019 CAF Confederation Cup after CAF cancelled their tie against representatives from Cameroon.

The Confederation of African Football made the statement on its Twitter account after the Cameroonian federation failed to nominate their national representatives for the tournament.

"Matches are cancelled, because the deadline for Fecafoot to confirm the engagement of the second representatives for the Total CAF Confederation has elapsed," the statement began.

"Asante Kotoko are therefore qualified to the 1/16th round."

Asante Kotoko were set to host a representative from Cameroon on November 27 in the first leg before a return match away in early December.

Cameroon's Eding Sport and Lion Blessé had qualified for the final of the Cameroonian Cup, with the winner set to take the berth, although the match is yet to be scheduled.

Last year's final took place in December, but CAF's rescheduling of pan-continental competitions ought to have forced a change in schedule.

Traditionally, African inter-club competitions had a February-to-November schedule.

Cameroon do still have one representative - New Star - in the Confederation Cup.

Kotoko, who qualified as 2017 Ghanaian FA Cup winners, have won their domestic title on 24 occasions, and twice won Africa's premier continental competition - in 1970 and 1973.

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