“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.”
This wise advice from American author Loren Norris perfectly depicts the approach Samartex Head Coach, Nurudeen Amadu, is taking in the club’s ambitious quest to reach the group stage of the CAF Champions League on their first attempt.
Amadu frequently looks to two key figures in Ghanaian football—Abdul Karim Zito and Evans Adotey—for inspiration.
Zito, who led Dreams FC to the semifinals of the Confederation Cup last season, while Adotey guided Medeama to the group stage of the Champions League.
Before Dreams FC’s impressive run, the last time a Ghanaian club reached the Confederation Cup semifinal was 19 years ago in 2005.
“He [Nurudeen Amadu] started his coaching career under me,” Karim Zito said proudly, before adding, “I think they are on course; they are seriously on course, and we talk. I talked to him. For the Arabs, they have their way of playing; when you are able to study them and then map a good strategy, they can’t do anything.”
Amadu, meanwhile, admitted, “He is my senior. I have so much respect for him. He’s one of the best coaches in the country. I take a lot of inspiration from him for what he has been able to achieve.”
Amadu led Samartex to the first Ghanaian top-flight title last season in only their second season since gaining promotion.
That earned them the right to represent Ghana in Africa’s topmost club competition, the CAF Champions League.
Samartex has made a strong start, defeating Cameroon’s Victoria United 2-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round.
The roadblock between Samartex and the group stage is three-time African Champions, Raja Casablanca.
Amadu is keen to leverage Karim Zito’s experience to navigate this tough opponent. “We’ve been talking and we will continue to talk. We still have some videos to watch. He has played against them [North Africans]. He played against the Tunisian team, Club Africain. We will continue to talk.”
Meanwhile, Karim Zito gave a tip of the information he would be giving to Amadu. “It happened to me with Club Africain, and in the end, they couldn’t even qualify. It is the mindset, the attitude—you can do it.
“I talked to him [Amadu] and I told him what I know about them because I’ve played against them and, again, I’ve coached against them. So I know how they are.
“It’s like when you are playing the Arabs: if you are able to keep your flank very tight and don’t allow them to go for pull-outs, they are a team that doesn’t have second phases. When you press them with their first option, you see them get confused.”
Samartex is scheduled to host Raja Casablanca at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday in the first-leg clash of the group-stage playoff.
Both Amadu and Zito understand the critical importance of securing a victory in Ghana before heading to the daunting Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca for the second leg.
“At the end of the day, they have to win at all costs, Zito noted. “They have to win. But one nice thing about Africa is that your best will always be rewarded. It doesn’t matter if you are playing at home or away.”
“We have to go all out,” Amadu said after opening his Ghana Premier League title defence with a goalless draw against Zito’s ten-man Dreams on Saturday, September 7.
He added, “We don’t have to make those mistakes we made [against Dreams FC]. We have to correct our finishing. We have to be clinical in front of goal.”
By drawing on the wisdom of these coaching legends, Nurudeen Amadu is not only honouring their legacy but also charting his own path to greatness.
The challenge against Raja Casablanca is intimidating, but one thing is clear: Samartex is fully prepared for the fight.
