Coton Sport head coach Ernest Agbor Ako admits the exit of their attacking talisman Souaibou Marou was a big blow to their CAF Champions League campaign.
Marou, 22, secured a January transfer to Orlando Pirates after his inclusion in the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad with Cameroon.
It proved a major coup for the Soweto giants but he’s been afforded only 39 minutes of football since his arrival and has yet to open his account.
Ako, the head coach of the Cameroon giants admits he’s left a gaping hole in the squad as they lost five of their five Group B games, scoring two and conceding 14.
“I think your question, you already gave the answer – you know, he’s not… he was a pillar in our team – since he is not there we’ve suffered a lot,” Ako said ahead of their clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versveld.
“To come out with a player like Marou, it took us a long time to build up a player like this, so we other Marou’s who are inside the team, so with the process formation and everything that we’re going to play we need players like Marou or better than Marou.”
Their veteran forward Kamilou Daouda reiterated the stance, with Marou having been a key player, scoring three goals in four games to secure their place in the Group Stages.
“I think it’s not only Marou that was in this team, we have three or four players, now we have new players, but we know it’s difficult, we don’t have the time to understand each other,” the Niger international added.
“But I think Marou [leaving] did affect us, scoring goals but we have midfielders, almost three or four players [who can step up], they are going to give their best as they have been given a chance to come and play, so I think they will be fine.”
