Sports
Hearts, Aduana set to boot opening game
The first round of matches in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) ended on Monday evening at the Accra Sports Stadium where Inter Allies and Dreams FC battled to a frenetic stalemate.
After eight games, seven draws were recorded with one win going in favour of the West African Soccer Academy (WAFA) where they snatched a 4-3 win over King Faisal at home.
Hearts of Oak were scheduled to play away to Aduana Stars in Dormaa last Saturday, but the tie was called off due to some of their players testing positive for COVID-19.
However, the excitement continues as the second round of games resumed yesterday. But the game to keep an eye on will be the Hearts v AshGold tie on Tuesday at the Accra Sports Stadium and the Berekum Chelsea-Kotoko thriller.
Two games were expected to kick off yesterday with another today and the remaining five on Sunday.
The Phobians will seek to begin their campaign on a good note against the Miners this weekend. In their first game, AshGold surrendered a 2-1 lead only for Karela to draw level in the dying embers of the afternoon.
Eleven Wonders will kick-start the second round of matches with late kick off on Friday (yesterday) in Techiman where they host Ebusua Dwarfs in a very cagey affair.
The Wonders snatched a well deserved point against Kotoko last Sunday and will be looking forward to amass three points against a very tricky Ebusua Dwarfs who drew 2-2 with rivals Elmina Sharks in the Fante-derby.
Olympics will climax the last game on Friday with a late kick off at the Accra Sports Stadium where they take on Legon Cities in the regional derby. The Dade boys pulled the surprise on match day one after they snatched a deserved point against title contenders Medeama SC in Tarkwa. A very disappointing result for coach Samuel Boadu and his charges.
The train will then land in Bechem today where Bechem United invite WAFA to the Bechem Park at 15:00 GMT.
The Bechem boys will have a hard nut to crack against WAFA as the latter seek to make it six points in two games after defeating King Faisal 4-3 last weekend, while United also look to pick up their first win of the campaign.
Very comfortable at the Crosby Awuah Stadium in Anyinase, Karela will face off with Inter Alllies on Sunday afternoon. Both sides have snatched a point each in their first games and will be looking forward to their first three points in a cracking affair.
Liberty Professionals will travel to Elmina where they square off with the Sharks at the Papa Kwesi Nduom Stadium. Sharks were forced to share the spoils with Dwarfs in a late goal from goalkeeper Issa Razak in a 2-2 draw and will be looking forward to make amends on match day two.
Liberty also saw a late goal from Bechem United in Dansoman where points were split in a 1-1 draw.
The Theatre of Dreams in Dawu will be centre of attraction when Dreams play against Medeama SC on Sunday afternoon. Medeama were stunned when they shared spoils with Olympics in their opener, while Dreams who looked favorites last Monday against Inter Allies were held to a goalless draw. The ‘Still Believe’ lads could surprise the Tarkwa-based side.
Chelsea travel back to the Golden City Park on Sunday with a point after they were held to a 1-1 draw with Legon Cities. With the shocker of a result against Eleven Wonders last Sunday, Kotoko will come gun blazing against Chelsea.
Coach Maxwell Konadu will miss the services of midfielder Latif Anabilla which could be a big blow to him.
The Porcupine Warriors will have to give their all to grab a win against a Chelsea side without the services of reliable centre-backs Zakaria Fuseini, Ahmed Adams and Jonah Attuquaye but looked poised for the kill with the likes of Stephen Amankona, Kofi Owusu and arrival of ‘experienced’ centre-back Edward Kpodo.
King Faisal will climax the second round of games in their crucial game with Aduana Stars who are yet to kick a ball in the Ghana Premier League.
Despite a series of poor results last season, King Faisal began their 2020/21 scoring three goals but conceded four against Sogakope-based WAFA last Sunday.
Having already warmed themselves into the league, the ‘Insha Allah’ boys will look forward to startling the Dormaa-based side who were tipped to win the ultimate before the league was truncated and the backline will have to deal with bulky and tough forward Yahaya Mohammed who bagged 11 goals in 15 games for Aduana Stars last season.
BY LINUS SIAW NARTEY
Already relegated Eleven Wonders FC return to action on Friday with a determined quest to salvage pride as they host Bechem United FC at the Swedru Sports Stadium in the Premier League.
Despite their confirmed drop, Eleven Wonders remain committed to finishing the season on a competitive note. However, their campaign has been a difficult one, reflected in their poor run of form.
They are winless in their last five league matches, managing just a single draw against FC Samartex 1996 while suffering four defeats.
The numbers further highlight their struggles this season. With only 10 points from 28 matches, Eleven Wonders sit at the bottom of the table, having scored the fewest goals (17) and conceded the most (53) in the league.
Their home performances have offered little relief, with just one win, one draw, and three consecutive defeats in their last five matches on home soil—making them the weakest home side in the competition.
In contrast, Bechem United travel to Swedru with renewed confidence.
The Hunters have shown encouraging improvement, picking up points in four of their last five matches, including back-to-back 2-1 victories, two draws, and just one defeat. They currently sit 13th on the table with 37 points from 28 games, albeit with a game in hand over some of their rivals.
Having scored 25 goals and conceded 31 this season, Bechem United remain locked in a tense battle to avoid relegation, sitting just two points above the drop zone. While their recent form is promising, their away record remains a concern.
They have managed just one win, two draws, and ten defeats in 13 away matches this season.
That solitary away victory came in a crucial 2-1 triumph over FC Samartex 1996 at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena on matchday 27—a result they will look to build upon as they aim to secure valuable points on the road.
The Black Queens will on Wednesday, April 29, learn their opponents for the African qualifying phase of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament.
The draw, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will take place at CAF headquarters in Cairo and will be streamed live on CAF TV from 15:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
Ghana is among 35 national teams participating in the qualification campaign, which will determine the two African representatives for the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, scheduled for July 11 to 29, 2028.
The qualification series will be played over five rounds, with each nation aiming to secure one of the two available slots for Africa at the global event in Los Angeles.
Having recently climbed to 59th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings and currently ranked third in Africa, the draw marks the beginning of another major international mission, the quest to seek a return to Olympic football.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS
