• Ghana Premier League Week 20
1. Sam Adams sinks Hearts of Oak
15th February 2014 was the last time Hearts of Oak defeated Aduana at Dormaa.
Eric Kumi’s second-half strike in the 57th minute was enough for The Phobians to record a 1-0 victory against Aduana. It is 8 years now, Hearts has not won a single league game there. With this defeat, Hearts are now a whopping 15 points behind the runaway leader, Asante Kotoko. Is Hearts’ intention of defending the title gone?
Aduana on the other hand has won their last 4 games and are enjoying a wonderful spell now. Sam Adams’ first-half goal was enough to help Aduana remain second on the league table.
2. Micheal Osei’s homecoming is hurt by fabulous Asante Kotoko
A 5-star performance was put on by Kumasi Asante Kotoko under the floodlight. It was a fantastic show by the league leaders. The biggest winning margin in the season, it is the first time any team has scored five since Aduana Stars’ 5-1 thrashing of R.T.U in round 4. Kotoko is the first team to win by 5 goals margin. Prosper Nartey will be glad to see 4 different names on the scoring sheet; Mfegue Omgba(brace), Augustine Agyepong, Frank Mbella and Samuel Boateng. The title now is Fabulous’ to lose.
15 points separating them and their bitter rivals, Hearts of Oak.
3. Great Olympics still unbeaten at home
Annor Walker is a marvellous and fantastic coach. 10 games played at home, 7 wins, 3 draws, 17 goals scored, 7 conceded. The Accra based club is second on the home league table trailing Kotoko by 4 points with fewer games played. Many thought Olympics was going to struggle after losing skipper Gladson Awako to their bitter rivals, Hearts of Oak but Annor Walker and his boys are playing very well.
Samuel Ashie-Quaye’s lone goal secured Olympics all the 3 points against Legon Cities.
4. Elmina Sharks are heading to the bottomless bottom
Sharks are in danger of being relegated. They have won just 3 games all season and the earlier they start picking up points, the better it will be for them. Their only victory in their last 14 games surprisingly came against Asante Kotoko in Week 16 when they won by 2-1. 8 points now between Sharks and 17th placed team Eleven Wonders, 9 points separate Sharks and safety. They have a huge mountain to climb now if they want to survive.
5. Nurudeen Amadu must wrestle King Faisal’s slump
King Faisal is regressing and coach Nurudeen Amadu must find a solution to it.
King Faisal Babes was scintillating at the beginning of the season, twice beaten Kotoko, won in Dormaa, won for the first time since 2013 against Ashgold. Expectations became high on king Faisal but little by little they are crumbling. They will not be relegated but a place at the top 4 is increasingly becoming unlikely. Atta Kusi, Samuel Kusi, Ibrahim Osman, Ibrahim Zubairu, Enoch Morisson and Frank Boateng must all step up.
6. Accra Lions yet to score more than 2 goals in a match
Twelve on the log after week 20, things are going to plan at the moment for Accra Lions. Their priority is to remain in the league and they are on course. Accra Lions is yet to score more than 2 goals in a match. Two 2-1 results against Bechem United and R.T.U, the other 18 games, it is either they score one goal or nothing. They are in for a relegation battle hence they should start scoring goals.
7. WAFA won the battle of the two beleaguered teams
It was a combined 11 winless games for WAFA and R.T.U ahead of this match. WAFA had gone four games without a win while R.T.U had gone 6 games. Justus Torsutsey’s goal won the crucial 3 points for the home team. It was his first goal in 5 games for WAFA. WAFA will need his goals to stand any chance of surviving. They are still in the relegation zone with difficult fixtures against Legon Cities, Great Olympics and Aduana Stars next. R.T.U on the other hand has been regressing. Starman David Sandan Abagna’s absence has affected R.T.U. He has missed their last twelve games. It was only Bibiani Gold Stars that they defeated (2-0) since Abagna last played for them, 4 draws and 7 defeats have been recorded.
Both teams will struggle to regain their premier league status if their form does not change.
8. Medeama pushing to be in the top 4
Ahmed Toure’s 65th-minute strike was enough to condemn the inconsistent Wonders to defeat. Unbeaten in their last two games against Ashgold (4-1) and Berekum Chelsea (1-1) heading into the game, Eleven wonders poor away form continued. Medeama has moved up the table to 5th with 32 points. They have had the fewest goals involvement in games so far with 12 goals scored and 11 conceded. Ahmed Toure is their leading scorer with just 3 goals. Medeama’s 2-0 win over Karela in round 4 was the first and only time they scored 2 goals in a single game.
STATS ZONE, week 20
• 18 goals scored
• 15 home goals
• 3 away goals
• 8 home wins
• 1 away win
• Zero draws
• 2 braces of goals ( Tahir Mohamed, Omgba Mfegue)
• zero hattrick
• 24 yellow cards
• zero red cards
• 6 first-half wins
• 3 first half draws
• 1 penalty (scored by Mbella Frank)
Source: Amakye Ansah
