Sports
Dreams FC aim to dent Medeama’s title hopes
GHANA Premier League leaders, Medeama SC’s resolve to win a second title will be tested tomorrow when they trek to the Tuba Astro Turf to face Dreams FC in a Match day 26 fixture.
Yet to win in their last five games, Medeama SC is under pressure to scale the Dreams FC hurdle, knowing that any result other than a win could see second-place Bibiani Gold Stars overtake them.
For Dreams FC’s Coach, Winfred Dormon, it will be the first of two defeats they aim to hand the visitors, as they face off again in the semi-finals of the MTN FA Cup next month.
But Coach Tanko Ibrahim’s Medeama pursuit of a domestic glory and a historic double this season is so precious, and every member of the team is ready to achieve it.
At the Dun’s Park in Bibiani, defending champions, Gold Stars, would be chasing their 11th win in 13 matches when they lock horns with Vision FC. Breathing heavily on the necks of leaders, Medeama SC, who lead by a point, the ‘Miners’ will look to add the visitors to their growing list of casualties in their push to retain the title they won last season.
Swiss tactician, Fritz Markus Schmid, believes the tie will not be an easy one, as he describes the visitors as a solid side. However, he was quick to add that they will surely see off the Tema-based side to further boost their dreams of retaining the title.
Having scored 18 goals at home with five conceded, Coach Schmid is hoping that in-form striker, Samuel Attah Kumi, the leading goal scorer with 11 goals, will continue his fine form in front.
Having defeated Gold Stars 3-0 in the first-round fixture, Vision FC possesses a surprising venom in big games, making this fixture a slippery one for the hosts.
Fifth-placed Asante Kotoko would hope to return to winning ways when they welcome Nations FC to the Baba Yara Stadium in a cagey encounter.
At the Golden City Park in Berekum, relegation-threatened Berekum Chelsea would be hoping to record their eighth win of the season when they welcome high-flying Karela United.
Title chasers, Aduana FC, will trek to Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem to battle Bechem United FC in a tricky tie. Basake Holy Stars will stay put at the Ampian AAK II Sports Arena in Azulewanu to host Young Apostles, while Swedru All Blacks face Hohoe United at Swedru Stadium.
By Raymond Ackumey
GERMANY holds an impressive and dominant head-to-head record over Ghana in association football. Both countries have clashed on three occasions at the highest level of football—twice at the FIFA World Cup and once, an international friendly.
At the World Cup, the Germans defeated the Black Stars 1-0 at the African World Cup (South Africa 2010) and drew 2-2 at the same platform four years later in Brazil.
The outcome of the April 14, 1993 international friendly was one Ghanaians would not want to be reminded about. With some of the finest performers on the continent of Africa donning the Ghana jersey, the Germans walloped the Black Stars 6-1 to record what was christened the infamous ‘Bochum disaster.’ Despite leading at halftime with a Prince Polley goal assisted by Abedi Pele, Ghana conceded six second-half goals in 27 minutes.
This is a country that prides itself as four-time world champions (1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014) from a total of eight finals, three gold medals in UEFA European Championship (1972, 1980, 1996), one Olympic title (1976) and a FIFA Confederations Cup (2017). A friendly with the Germans is more of a privilege and they have a reason why; but it should be an opportunity Ghana must grab with both hands to attempt to exorcise the Bochum ghost or find a way to grind the German machine.
It is the reason Ghanaians had high expectation for Otto Addo’s squad for the two friendlies against Austria in Vienna on March 27 before travelling to Stuttgart to face Germany on March 30.
As a friendly, one understands the need to try new players with a focus on identifying new and effective talents to strengthen the team for the World Cup proper. But it is clear that injuries to Kudus Mohammed, Francis Abu and Salisu Mohammed coupled with the poor form of quite a number of players could throw a spanner into Otto Addo’s wheels.
He has handed debut call-ups to four players – Derrick Luckassen of Pafos FC in Cyprus, Patrick Pfeiffer from German Bundesliga II side Darmstadt 98, Marvin Senaya of AJ Auxerre, and Daniel Agyei from Turkish club Kocaelispor – for this month’s international friendlies.
The 26-man squad also marked the return of Iñaki Williams, Ibrahim Sulemana, Alexander Djiku and Thomas Partey who has had little playing time with Villarreal and facing a few issues in court.
It doesn’t look like any promising squad capable of producing the results Ghanaian fans would hope to have. The excuse would obviously be that it was just an exercise to fine-tune but even if the Black Stars were to lose to the Germans who are also struggling for form, it should not be worse than the Bochum disaster.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen), Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak), Joseph Anang (St. Patrick’s Athletic).
Defenders: Patrick Pfeiffer (SV Darmstadt), Derrick Luckassen (Pafos FC), Derrick Kohn (Union Berlin), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Caleb Yirenkyi (FC Nordsjaelland), Kojo Oppoong Pepprah (OGC Nice), Jonas Adjetey (VFL Wolfsburg), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre).
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre), Ibrahim Sulemana (Cagliari), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo).
Forwards/Wingers: Brandon Thomas Asante (Coventry City), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), Prince Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City), Inaki Williams (Atletic Bilbao), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Kamal Deen Sulemana (Atalanta), Daniel Agyei (Kocaelispor).
By Andrew Nortey
A little over six weeks ago, everything pointed to a Medeama SC coronation as 2025/26 Ghana Premier League (GPL) champions at the end of the season.
That sounds premature, considering the fact that there were close to about 15 matches before the curtain was drawn on the competition.
However, believers of that assumption were right with that call due to Medeama’s form and doughty-character.
Medeama has been fearless this season. They have been ruthless, sharp, composed and a very formidable opposition, dealing with what their opponents throw at them.
In fact, establishing a 17-game unbeaten run speaks volumes of the quality Medeama has shown this season.
Two people have been key in this transformational story – Coach Ibrahim Tanko and playmaker, Salim Adams.
As of Week 21, Medeama SC opened a yawning seven-point gap with 43 points, leading Aduana FC, Hearts of Oak and Gold Stars, all with 36 points without any indication of slowing down.
But the story has completely changed just four matches after, with Medeama currently occupying the top spot with a slim one point.
Worse of all is the failure to record a win in their last five games in the competition, surviving at the top with unfavourable results of their closest competitors.
That winless run has seen Medeama drawn in three games against Samartex FC, Aduana FC and Swedru All Blacks, and lost to Nations FC and Hohoe United.
The nature of the defeat to Hohoe United generated controversy among those who won’t accept that a penalty miss and an erratic clearance by goalkeeper Felix Kyei that gifted the Voltarians the winning goal were genuine errors.
Their recent falters should have been pleasant opportunities for second-placed Gold Stars, and Hearts of Oak to capture reins at the top, but strangely, they suffered challenges of their own; leaving Medeama hanging at the top.
These dynamics are beginning to paint a positive picture for the competition as clubs at the top fight for more points to take pole positions, wrest with strugglers who are also battling hard for survival.
Outside of the top three, with chances of assuming the top spot if the Medeama form does not see any improvement, are Karela United and Asante Kotoko.
Despite their struggles, they have an outside chance of joining the battle at the top with nine matches to go.
At this stage of the competition, the pressure will be on Coach Ibrahim Tanko and his Medeama charges. Having ‘bottled’ a seven-point gap to a single point, it is surely theirs to lose.
Tanko, in previous interviews, has parried questions over the pressure on him and the team, but their current predicament leaves much to be desired.
The next two months would witness intense battle at both ends of the table with as many as five clubs having reason to contest for the ultimate, with about the same number set for the late drama to escape the last two slots to join Eleven Wonders, who are the surest bet for demotion.
By Andrew Nortey
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