Asante Kotoko coach Steve Polack has strongly defended his players against criticism for failing to record a convincing win over CARA Brazzaville despite being awarded four penalties.

The Porcupine Warriors squandered three of four spot-kicks handed to them as they earned a slim 1-0 victory over Congolese side. 

Strikers Sadick Adams and Baba Mahama as well as captain Amos Frimpong all missed from the spot before substitute converted his penalty in added time to give Kotoko a first-leg advantage.

"Penalties are like a lottery, the goalkeeper has nothing to lose, it is the player who has more to lose than the goalkeeper and if you look at the Penalties we took, the first one from Saddick was well taken but missed, the second one was poorly taken and third was well saved,’’ Pollack said in the post-match conference.

The miss penalties have been blamed on Juju (black magic). This is after CARA refused to honour their mandatory training but decided to urinate in the two goal posts 24 hours before the match. 

But Polack has rejected those claims. He said: ‘’If people want to believe in that[Juju] it is fine, I don’t have a problem with that but I don’t believe in that[Juju].’’

Kotoko will travel away to Congo Brazzaville in a fortnight for the second leg clash.