Safiu joined Kumasi Asante Kotoko in November 2018, ahead of the 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup campaign. He was registered and named on the club's official squad list for the CAF tournament. Even though they were eliminated at the group stages, he was one of their standout performers as he scored 3 goals in 10 matches, as Asante Kotoko reached the group stages of the tournament for the first time in 11 years. In the league, Safiu scored 10 goals to end up joint top goal scorer (tied with Diawisie Taylor) and help Kotoko clinch the 2019 GFA Normalization Committee Special Competition. At the end of the season, he was adjudged the Ghana Football Awards Home-Based player of the year reflecting the impact he made. He beat off competition from his teammate Felix Annan and Accra Hearts of Oak defender Mohammed Alhassan to win the award.
