Kumasi Asante Kotoko interim head coach Abdul-Karim Zito believes his side’s perseverance and Golden Kick’s visible fatigue in the closing stages were key factors in their 2-1 victory in the 2025 MTN FA Cup Final.
The match, held at the University of Ghana Stadium, saw Kotoko overcome Division One side Golden Kick in a tightly contested encounter to lift the prestigious trophy.
Kotoko’s Kwame Opoku emerged as the hero of the night, opening the scoring with a well-timed header in the 17th minute and later converting a controversial penalty in the 89th minute to secure the win.
The late penalty decision drew fierce protests from Golden Kick players and officials, who momentarily threatened to walk off the pitch. Despite the controversy, Coach Zito emphasized that his team capitalized on their opponents’ drop in energy levels during the decisive moments of the game.
A late Opoku penalty seals victory for the warriors . pic.twitter.com/AwUbgjjEq3
— Asante Kotoko SC – 2X CAF CL Winners🥇 (@AsanteKotoko_SC) June 15, 2025
“It reached a point where they started getting tired and we began to push them. I told my boys it wouldn’t be easy—it would be tough—but in the end, we’d win,” Zito said. “Before the penalty came, they had started to fade… that’s the result of fighting your senior brother.”
The win marks a significant achievement for the Porcupine Warriors, who now turn their attention to preparations for continental competitions.
