Sports
Clubs chase top spot in GPL
The battle for the top spot on this season’s Ghana Premier League continues unabated as very cagey Week Nine fixtures this weekend is expected to witness some massive shake-up at the summit.
Though Ashantigold has so far displayed some consistency and currently on top of the table, just leapfrogging Bechem United on goal difference, other teams including Karela, WAFA, Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko are chasing the pack and steadily climbing their way to the top.
The development, presents a very interesting weekend ahead with some mouthwatering fixtures; top on the list – Hearts taking on Eleven Wonders tomorrow at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Fifth-placed Hearts would be hoping to bounce back to winning ways after drawing one all with Elmina Sharks in their last encounter at home.
A win against arguably the team of the season so far, Eleven Wonders, will place Hearts on 15 points, same as the current league leaders which would be hugely fancied by the Phobian fraternity.
Wonders, however, have been a huge mountain to climb this season, mesmerising opponents with some good football and pulling some surprises which Hearts should be wary of.
They would fancy all three points which could also catapult them to top six position and possibly top four, going into the next round of games.
Another cracker on Sunday would be at Sogakope where fourth-placed WAFA face off with sixth-placed Kotoko with just a point separating the two sides.
Known for their great individual talents and dominance at home, WAFA would go all out in an attempt to maintain their top four position after being tipped as one of the favourites to win this season’s league.
WAFA, also known as giant killers, would be hoping to stop their visitors who are gradually gaining confidence which saw them defeat Liberty Professionals 2-0 in their last game.
The Porcupine Warriors have also been presented a good opportunity to enter top four as they would secure 15 points with a win away from home against WAFA.
With their new Brazilian inspiration – Fabio Gama fast becoming fans’ favourite just after a majestic first game which saw him provide two assists, Kotoko would be beaming with confidence ahead of the encounter.
Fans are already eager to see their new darling boy in action and another impressive performance would definitely give Kotoko something to smile about at Sogakope.
The weekend’s actions would, however, begin today with Liberty Professionals taking on Ebusua Dwarfs at the Carl Reindorf Park with the home side desperate for a win.
Liberty have been blowing hot and cold this season but a win today would be a huge boost to the team and desperate fans in Dansoman as they look forward to a win after their embarrassing defeat to Kotoko in their previous game.
On Sunday also, second-placed Bechem United would square off with Dreams FC at Bechem in another interesting fixture with the home side hoping to maintain their position.
Dreams, however, would need to upset their host to push themselves away from their 14th position and avoid slipping into the relegation zone.
Legon Cities would also be looking to another win after securing their first win of the season in their last encounter against WAFA as they travel to face Aduana Stars.
Though they would have wished to have an ‘easier’ opponent to clinch another win, Legon Cities must, nevertheless, put up an extraordinary performance to torment Aduana at home.
Aduana, on the other hand, would not easily give away three points especially at their own backyard and the quest to get above their current ninth position hanging around their necks.
Elsewhere, league leaders Ashantigold would take on Medeama at the Len Clay Sports Stadium as the home side face a challenge that could make them slip at the summit.
Medeama, after a slow start of the season, are beginning to find their form and managed to beat Aduana Stars 2-1 in the last game. A win against Ashantigold would be a huge step in their ongoing revival.
In other games, bottom-placed King Faisal would be looking forward to changing their fortunes for the better as they face Elmina Sharks while third-placed Karela would also clash with struggling Berekum Chelsea in another mouthwatering fixture.
It promises to be an action-packed weekend of football as teams continue to battle for glory in this year’s league season.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
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
