Ghana set for season big game as Kotoko clash with Hearts

Published on: 31 October 2010

The football calendar in Ghana will witness its biggest game of the season when arch rivals Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak clash Kumasi on Sunday in their Premier League game.

The two giants of Ghanaian football are not only seeking the points and bragging rights in the traditionally highly-charged game.  

But the duo are also seeking to catch up with the small teams like Berekum Chelsea Kessben and Aduana who have taken over and are dominating the league with impressive showing.

Both Hearts and Kotoko are seeking to put up a display that will make their fans return to the stadium following recent management changes, seeking to reverse their dwindling fortunes.

For the two coaches - Ebo Mends of Kotoko and Paa Kwesi Fabin of Hearts, Sunday obviously represents a game of significant importance in their careers as referee Cecil Fletcher officiates the battle.

Mends appears under pressure as he plots to avoid a second consecutive defeat after last Sunday's derby loss to King Faisal while Fabin's stock is certainly on the up following their 3-0 thrashing of All Stars. 

Mends' opposite number appears to have struck a fine balance between defence where returnee goalkeeper Sammy Adjei and defenders Osei Bonsu and Karimu Alhassan have been pivotal.

But they face a Kotoko side whose strength lies in attack having scored ten goals as against Hearts who have six to their credit.

The Porcupine Warriors have relied on strikers Alex Asamoah, Louis Agyeman and Edward Affum to score the goals while the Phobians look thin in attack but if Hearts' Edwin Osei "Pele", Uriah Asante and Wilson Adoh regain their scoring boots the home side will be in trouble.

Despite the recent mini-Hearts revival the Kotoko coach insists meetings involving both sides is not decided by the form guide but the performance of the referee will also be scrutinized depending on who wins the game.

“I don’t understand why a referee like Cecil Fletcher would be appointed for this big match considering his past record with matches involving Kotoko,” PRO of the club Jarvis Peprah said.

“Nevertheless, we would play the game to the best of our ability and hope the referee does his part professionally,” he added.

Security is another important issue in matches between Hearts and Kotoko as the biggest tragedy in football in Ghana was recorded during the match between the two sides on 9 May 2001 when 126 people lost died after crowd violence.

With the match starting at 15:30 GMT to ensure that the epic match doesn’t clash with the first leg of the Champions League final between TP Mazambe and Esperance, all the other games on the day will kick off at15:00GMT.

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