1. Asante Kotoko slips into the relegation zone once again
Nsenkyire Park was going to be a difficult ground for Asante Kotoko looking at how bad the Kumasi-based club has been recently. A superb free kick from Emmanuel Keyekeh, a former Asante Kotoko midfielder in the first half ensured a first-ever victory in the betPawa Premier League for Samartex against Kotoko.
The 1-0 defeat has sent Kotoko into the relegation zone for the third time this season.
16th on the table, 10 matches played, 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats. Asante Kotoko has just scored 7 goals with 9 conceded. This is how bad Fabolous is thus far.
2. Hearts of Oak’s profligacy continues
Hearts of Oak’s inefficiency in scoring is problematic. The Phobians have scored 4 goals in 450 minutes of play at the Accra Sports Stadium. Martin Koopman’s forwards are very poor in scoring. Kashala Ramos, Albert Eonde, Isaac Mensah, Hamza Issah, Kassim Cisse and Kwadwo Obeng Junior have scored a combined 5 goals with Hamzah Issah scoring 4 and Kashala Ramos 1. The other goal was an own goal scored by Appiah Kubi in their 3-1 win over Medeama. After matchday 10, Hearts of Oak are still struggling to bang in the goals, they have scored only 6 goals. Martin Koopman has an uphill task to make his forwards score the needed goals.
3. Heart of Lions still awaits their first win of the season
In the battle between the new boys, Nations FC won through Razak Simpson’s 75th minute strike which earned the home team a precious 3 points. Out of the relegation zone now, Nations FC’s fellow newcomers, Heart of Lions are still languishing at the bottom of the table with Abdulai Abdul Mumin’s side still searching for their first win of the season.
Life in the top flight has proven to be cumbersome for the Kpando-based club with 4 points separating them from the 15th-placed team, RTU. Seven draws and three defeats are awful for Heart of Lions who remains at the bottom of the log for the 3rd consecutive week.
4. Medeama loses at home for the first time in 10 months
Medeama’s defeat at home against Berekum Chelsea was shocking. The Mauve and Yellow have lost their first betPawa Premier League home game since losing to Kwadwo Obeng Junior’s 34th-minute strike against Hearts of Oak on MD14 in January 2023 of the 2023/24 season. Stephen Amankonah’s 23rd-minute strike secured a huge 3 points for Berekum Chelsea who has won back-to-back away games for the first time in their last 25 away games.
Berekum Chelsea has moved into the top four having won their last 3 games.
5.RTU can’t stop conceding
The Tamale-based club have conceded 19 goals in ten games. This is incredibly serious. Real Tamale United is in trouble and needs a lift at the back. They are just one place above the relegation zone with one point separating them and 16th place Asante Kotoko. The 2-0 defeat at Nsoatreman means RTU are winless in their last four games with a huge fixture against in-form Dreams next. They have kept two clean sheets in 10 games.
6. The Bono and Ahafo derby ends in a draw
Bechem United and Tano Bofoakwa shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Nana Gyeabour’s Park in Bechem. Augustine Okrah’s 8th-minute strike was cancelled a minute later by Stephen Owusu. The final 25 minutes were played by Bofoakwa with a man down after defender Emmanuel Ankrah was shown the red card in the 65th minute.
The Bono and Ahafo derbies are always great considering they were once one. Bofoakwa Tano is now 7th on the league log while Bechem United are 9th after matchday 10.
7. Ibrahim Tanko pips Shaibu Tanko
The Battle of the Tankos ended in a 2-1 victory for Ibrahim Tanko’s Accra Lions against Shaibu Tanko’s Karela. Mohammed Yahaya opened the scoring in the 3rd minute for Accra Lions with Atta Kumi Samuel equalising for Karela in the 91st minute. A minute later, Mohammed Ali landed a sucker punch on Shaibu Tanko ending the game dramatically.
Karela United is just a place above the bottom of the table and has a lot of work to do to get out of the relegation zone.
8. Dreams are gearing up for the CAF Confederation Cup
Ishmael Dede and Eric Boateng were on target in Dreams FC’s 2-0 win over Great Olympics. The Still Believe continued their excellent win in Kumasi last week against Asante Kotoko with another against Great Olympics on Sunday. Dreams will kick off their CAF Confederation Cup campaign in a fortnight and these are the kinds of wins Karim Zito and his lads need to boost their morale and confidence. Back-to-back wins for the first time in the betPawa Premier League this season have come at the right time.
