CAF Confederation Cup

CAFCL : Dreams FC deserve their flowers from Confederations Cup exploits

by
Raphael Bannerman-Quartey
April 11, 2024

Two decades ago, two of the biggest franchises in Ghana Football, Hearts of Oak and Kotoko carved a path for clubs in CAF inter-club competitions.

With hopes and aspirations set on a high, several teams (Aduana Stars, Berekum Chelsea, King Faisal, defunct AshGold) and others qualified for Africa’s elite inter-club competitions for one reason or another, some sighted inadequate funds, logistics, personnel, poor performances as budding reasons for why they were unable to compete in the competition. Though to an extent it sounded logical, to the latter the question always begs to ask if you are prepared for the task ahead some of the excuses they give for not wanting to partake in Africa’s elite competition are inexcusable.

This meant that the four slots that, Ghana originally had in the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup had to be whittled down to two, one apiece for each competition. That singular decision from CAF hit the country where it hurt the most but it had to be taken in good fate as a host of factors contributed to getting to this stage.

Last season, Medeama SC were crowned champions of the league, which meant they would hoist the country’s flag in the CAF Champions League, similarly, Dreams FC’s journey in the MTN FA Cup saw them edge King Faisal to secure a passage to the 2023/2024 CAF Confederation Cup.

For a club formed in 2009, sealing qualification to Africa was unheard of but their relentless hard work over the years certainly paid great dividends. If one were to play in Africa a host of considerations was to be met, the financial war chest of the owner, investors, or associates, the squad depth and quality can’t be overlooked considering that the level playing field is a notch higher than domestic football, the technical team and others as well.

Dreams FC players celebrating Simba’s goal against Stade Malien.

Fast-forward to when the draw was made, Dreams FC was housed in group C, AS Lobito (Angola), Rivers United (Nigeria), and Club Africain from Tunisia in the end they qualified top and as one of two teams to the next stage of the competition. The third team in history behind Hearts of Oak and King Faisal to finish tops of a group.

In the quarter-finals, they were paired against, 2009 Champions, Stade Malien which they triumphed, 3-2 on aggregate over two legs. A huge feat for the club playing in their maiden campaign of the competition, the first Ghana Premier League side to make it to the semifinals of the competition in its current format since 2017.

All this success didn’t show up overnight it’s taken years of relentless hard work, commitment, and dedication to get to this stage.

The influence of Ghana Football Association President Kurt Okraku over the club cannot be overemphasized. He has been with the club since its conception stages right up until this stage. I’m sure even though his portfolio has shifted in the last few years, he has delegated roles to other capable hands to steer the affairs of the club. Coach Zito is quoted to have said that when the team secured qualification for the CAF Confederations Cup, some of the club’s directors thought otherwise of the club’s participation in its maiden conquest. “The directors didn’t want us to, but the main man Kurt disagreed with them, and I’m sure we didn’t disappoint him,” Zito remarked in the post-match press conference.

GFA President, Kurt Okraku

For a club birthed in 2009, going through several mills of lower league football and making it to the top elite division of football speaks volumes of the club’s set visions, goals, and ambitions. There have been several technical brains that have come in and gone out of the club, just to name a few, C.K Akonnor, Ignatius Osei-Fosu, Vladislav Viric, Juha Pasoja, Wilfred Dormon and now Abdul Karim Zito, together with the former have formed a fantastic partnership on the sidelines to elevate the club to the level its performing at the moment in its maiden conquest in the CAF Confederations Cup.

Dreams FC coach Karim Zito

The playing body has been very good if not excellent, how they managed to win all three home games, scoring, six and conceding just a single goal was not ordinary but beyond admirable. The blend of the youth and experience was a masterstroke by the technical, scouting, and recruitment team, which worked magic for the setup. It was least surprising to see the front line led by the experienced captain, John Antwi, Aziz Issah, Agyenim Boateng Mensah, and Godfred Atuahene’s seventeen goals contributions helped the club’s goals right from the group stages to its present stage, semi-finals.

Captain John Antwi

Playing in Africa is not for the faint-hearted but the financial rewards are staggeringly refreshing, as things stand, the Ghanaian side will earn a whopping $750, 000.00 for qualifying for the semi-finals, $1,00,00.00 to the finals millions and $2,00,00.00 should they win the competition for the first time. A herculean task that starts with Zamalek in the semi-finals before they meet either of the two North African sides, RS Berkane or USM Alger in the finals.

The first leg of the tie will be played in Cairo on April 21 with the reverse fixture set for Kumasi, a week later if the stadium meets the requirements from CAF, or else the game will be moved to neighboring Ivory Coast.

The Dawu-based club hopes to emulate the successes of Hearts of Oak and Kotoko some two decades ago but it won’t come on a silver platter regardless of what happens in the weeks to come I dove my heart out to them for how far they have come. No one gave them a sniff to come through, the group stages, quarters, and now the semi-finals with an ambition of making the finals. Hopefully, if things out well they make the finals.