Sports
Oly dare Hearts in Accra …as Kotoko are crowned champions
The battle for survival will get hotter this weekend when the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League (GPL) reaches the penultimate stage tomorrow.
With Kumasi Asante Kotoko looking forward to their coronation after their late kick off game against relegated Elmina Sharks and the mouthwatering clash in Accra between Great Olympics and Hearts of Oak, fans attention will switch to the fierce fight to determine which two clubs join Sharks to the ‘Dessert’ or ‘Wilderness’ of Ghana football.
Elmina Sharks are already relegated. They will bid farewell officially in front of their home fans next week.
But three others including Eleven Wonders, Real Tamale United (RTU) and WAFA would battle it out for the last two slots to the Division One League (DOL) next season.
But Wonders did themselves some good to give their survival bid some boost when they defeated Accra Hearts of Oak 2-1 in an outstanding game on Wednesday.
That makes Wonders’ travel to Sogakope to face WAFA tomorrow the toughest clash of the round and promises to be full of fireworks.
WAFA’s position is precarious but a win could breathe some life into the campaign, heading into the final day.
Wonders mid-week win, secured in the last minutes of the game, could prove the ‘game-changer’ and are motivated by the win over Hearts to pull all three points against the Academy lads.
They would surely count on a rich home advantage to clinch a win to also avenge the first round defeat in the hands of Wonders.
The ‘Pride of the North’, RTU, also face a similar situation ahead of a dicey duel against King Faisal at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale.
The Tamale representatives currently lie 16th on the league table with 35 points; just two behind Wonders, and would have to grind a win for themselves and need a favour from WAFA to beat Wonders.
King Faisal appear to have moved away from the relegation zone but must avoid a defeat in the last two game, lest they be dragged into the relegation battle on the final day.
The relegation fairytale notwithstanding, the weekend would be lightened by the clash between local rivals Accra Great Olympics and Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Both teams have gone winless in the past two weeks and would want to make amends by emerging victorious in a game that hands the winner the city’s bragging rights.
Hearts’ dominance in this rivalry seem to have halted in the last two seasons; a period the Wonder Club has recorded two wins and a draw in their last three match-ups.
With an experienced and a more formidable squad made up of former Ghana internationals Gladson Awako, Sulley Muntari, Samuel Inkoom and in-form striker Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Kwadwo Obeng Jr, Hearts would be expected to brush aside the bluff of their rivals.
But Olympics will display that strong character in such high profile games to make things difficult for the Phobians as both play for pride and bragging rights.
Once again, Coach Annor Walker will rely on trusted faithful like Raymond Grippmann, Philip Sackey, Ibrahim Sulley, Maxwell Abbey Quaye and Samuel Ashie-Quaye to do the damage.
In other games, Medeama play Accra Lions at the Akoon Park, Legon Cities host Karela at El-Wak, Aduana against Bibiani Goldstars, Berekum Chelsea face Dreams FC, AshGold host Bechem United at Obuasi and Kotoko against Elmina Sharks.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
KUMASI – Asante Kotoko will welcome Aduana FC in a crunch 1/16th stage clash of the MTN FA Cup competition tomorrow at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium as the Ghana Premier League (GPL) takes a short break.
Without doubt, it climaxes this round of fixtures of the competition and will see both clubs fighting it hard to grab quarter final tickets.
For fans of the Porcupine Warriors, the timing of the clash is not favourable as it represents a difficult period when the club is struggling to keep pace with the leaders in the GPL.
The statistics clearly explain the mood among the Reds fans.
The Porcupine Warriors have won only two matches in their last six games, that is, against Bechem United and Basake Holy Stars.
But against Swedru All Blacks and Kpando Heart of Lions, they lost in miserable fashion and secured draws with Berekum Chelsea and Bibiani Gold Stars.
This has affected morale in camp. Coming against Aduana FC, it will not be an easy mountain to climb as the Dormaa lads enjoy a clean ride in the GPL.
Kotoko and Aduana drew 1-1 in their last league encounter which produced a lot of thrills.
The return of top striker Albert Amoah to the fold and scoring on his return got their fans celebrating and anticipated a smooth run, only to be pegged back by the Lions from Kpando.
Aduana FC at their best can ‘harm’ any opposition. Against the Porcupine Warriors tomorrow, they would have to be at their best to stand a chance against the wounded Porcupines.
At the Tuba Astro turf, Dreams FC would engage Inter Allies in another encounter expected to be full of thrills.
Inter Allies’ Technical Director, Willie Klutse, says his team has what it takes to upset the apple-cart, knowing Dreams FC’s struggles in the ongoing season.
Berekum Chelsea would also come face-to-face with Tamale City who are enjoying a great run in the Division One League (DOL).
Elsewhere, Nations FC will take on Swedru All Blacks when league leaders, Medeama SC, will host FC Samartex 1996 at the T&A Park today.
By Andrew Nortey
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
A statement attributed to Black Stars Assistant Coach, John Paintsil, regarding player selection has sent tongues wagging and teeth gnashing.
In a media interview, Paintsil hinted that there could be ‘a lot of surprises’ when the final Black Stars list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament is announced.
No matter how one looks at it, it is clear Paintsil only stated the obvious and come June 1, when the final announcement is made by the technical team, some would be happy; others would be disappointed.
Trying to step into the shoes of the coach, Otto Addo, one realises that selections for such high-profile tournament is the most difficult part of preparations.
Over the years, it has been shown that a player’s participation can be on merit. There have also been circumstances when a player’s selection is ill-deserved but on what basis is that conclusion reached?
There is an interesting analogy in Ghana’s World Cup selection history with Otto Addo being a major beneficiary at a time fans may think he didn’t deserve it.
The German born did not play in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers for Ghana, but was later included in the final squad for the World Cup tournament in Germany. Despite not featuring in the qualifying campaign, he played a role in the squad’s preparation and was part of the team that represented Ghana at the World Cup for the first time.
He did no wrong; neither did the selectors. Such is the nature of football. The ‘Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ theory clearly applies.
And for a technical team that has been working so hard to put together a proper representation at the football showpiece, this theory could be revisited, putting Paintsil’s comments about shocks in proper perspective.
Otto Addo has indicated that the technical team will cast its net wide to identify the best talent to put together a formidable team, irrespective of where they are based.
In the game of football, no player’s spot is guaranteed. In cases where players maintain consistent performances, he can be unfortunately ruled out by injury like it has happened in the case of Salisu Mohammed.
There were other players as well that started the qualifiers. Mention can be made of players like Dennis Odoi and Tauriq Lamptey.
Others lost their positions through poor performances and because there was no time to wait, new players are selected to fill the gaps.
There are also players that peak at the right time, making it difficult for the selectors to ignore them.
All of these developments can have dire consequences on the structure of the final team and fans must, therefore, view Paintsil’s clue as one that serves as a timely reminder of the harsh realities under which teams are managed, rather than looking at it as intimidation.
Top coaches all over the world have stated how it is impossible to please their players just because on a match day, only 11 players can start.
Otto Addo will face the same situation in his bid to assemble the best.
Ghana has been drawn into Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia. The Black Stars will kick off their campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, face England in Boston, and conclude the group stage against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
