Their names may not have quite a notable place in the history of Kotoko-Hearts clashes but from Sunday, Coach Didi Dramani and his rival at Accra Hearts of Oak, David Duncan, whether they like it or not, will write their own scripts in the history books of Asante Kotoko-Hearts of Oak encounters.
Not that they have not seen Kotoko-Hearts duels before. They have; in fact many times as observers but their ‘dotted’ names were first etched in the records of Kotoko-Hearts matches on November 9, 2012, when the paths of Didi Dramani and David Duncan first crossed at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
That epic first round game of the 2012/2013 Glo Premier League, ended goalless. On Sunday, May 5 in Accra, Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, Didi Dramani and David Duncan will crosswords again. How lovely it will be for the thousands of Kotoko and Hearts fans watching Didi and Duncan battle for honours.
In one breath, this is just one of the eight league matches that will be played nationwide. Thus it is an ordinary league match of which three points are at stake. In another vein, that ordinary tag hanged on the game is wrong. Yes, it is a league match of which three points are at stake but let’s put the three points aside and talk about other things tied to this game.
Any defeat Hearts of Oak suffer at the hands of Asante Kotoko at any level is viewed differently.
Generally, Hearts are broken, egos are punctured and indeed, the feeling of superiority or supremacy the Phobians will have prior to the game becomes shattered. The opposite is also true. Perhaps the story on the Kotoko side sometimes is even worse because of the club’s impeccable image and pedigree.
It is no surprise that coaches have often been dismissed after losing in what has become known as the super clash. I cannot tell if Duncan or Didi will be sacked for losing on Sunday.
What I do know is that Sunday’s game cannot be seen as any ordinary match. That explains why Didi Dramani and David Duncan will approach the game with all seriousness.
Although they are likely to deny this fact, Didi Dramani and David Duncan have both come under pressure lately to deliver desired results. Despite the pressure, their stories have been good. David Duncan has steadily steered the Phobian boat well in the second round where Hearts are yet to lose.
The Phobians are 9th on the league table with 32 points. Didi Dramani has on the other hand ensured that Kotoko’s title defence hopes remain on track.
The Porcupines are third on the table with 41 points – one less than what joint leaders, Medeama and Berekum Chelsea have amassed.
Victory will do a lot for Didi Dramani and Kotoko. Besides sustaining the title defence aim, Didi Dramani will easily win back his admirers who became agitated or disgruntled after Kotoko’s Africa fiasco.
For David and Hearts, a win will brighten the Phobians’ desire of avoiding the indignity of closing the season as a mid-table club and for their coach it will be big statement that his transformational work at Hearts has gone well.
By: Jerome Otchere