Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s participation in next year’s CAF Champions League may be many months away from now but information picked up by Kotoko Express indicates that the technical team has already initiated plans to ensure that the club performs to expectation.

The last time Kotoko participated in Africa was in the 2008/2009 season and the club will be back in the 2013 competition by virtue of winning the 2011/2012 Glo Premier League title.

Although the Porcupines are yet to be officially crowned as Champions by the Premier League Board (PLB), Coach Maxwell Konadu said plans are already in place for the continental fiesta.

He said the team would leave nothing to chance. He added that with the league season almost over, the team’s focus is on next year’s African Champions League.

“We have started planning for Africa. We have two matches to end the season but having won the title already, we are putting measures in place for the Champions League” he revealed.

“That is where our focus is; that is our main concern – playing and making a positive impact” said Maxwell Konadu in an interview with Kotoko Express moments after the stimulating Kotoko-Bechem United, seven-goal thriller in Kumasi on Sunday.

While preferring to give detailed information at the close of the season, Maxwell Konadu argued that playing in Africa next year does not mean the team would shelve their domestic title defence. He stressed that the two major tasks for Kotoko next season would be to compete well in Africa and at the same time stoutly defend the Premier League title.

“We will organize ourselves well; play well and defend our title but within the same time, the objective will also be to excel in Africa. These are big tasks but we will work hard to achieve whatever target we set for ourselves” said Maxwell Konadu.

Responding to a question on transfers and recruitment, Coach Maxwell Konadu was emphatic that he has definite plans concerning that but he deferred any further talk to the end of the season. “Definitely, it is part of our plans but let us first finish the season” he ended.