Accra Hearts of Oak and their most bitterest of rivals on the Ghanaian football scene, Kumasi Asante Kotoko will aim to wrestle the 2019 President’s Cup when they square-off for the converted trophy on Sunday.
The game which is being put together by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), comes off at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi and, has traditionally over the years been played in honour of Ghana’s sitting President at the time.
Sunday’s game will once again rekindle the rivalry that exists between the two biggest clubs in the country as they seek to take home the final bragging rights to close the year.
The 2019 President’s Cup have twice being postponed and, both sets of fans will hope that it comes off successfully this time as they look to climax the year on a high and look forward to the start of next on a positive note.
The game will serve as a curtain raiser to the start of the 2019/20 football season which has been penciled in to start next weekend with 18 clubs set to participate.
Coach Kim Grant will once again lead Hearts into this game as they look to confirm their dominance over the Porcupines in such one-off (Cup) games in the Garden City. Hearts’ most famous win over the ‘old enemy’ was in the grand finale of the 2004 CAF Confederations Cup when the Phobians won on penalties after both legs ended in a 2-2 aggregate to become the first side in Africa to win the trophy.
Hearts have prepared well for this encounter knowing what is at stake and, Coach Grant should have a full squad to chose from with all of his key players having responded well to training this week.
The former Ghana international has a fair idea of what to expect from Kotoko after being in charge of Hearts for a year now. He will come up against another former Ghana international Maxwell Konadu who has just made a return to coach the Porcupine for the second time.
Both coaches will hope for a good performance from their boys as they seek to win the trophy at stake and all that it comes with as the start of the new season is only a week away.
Expectations of both sets of fans will be very high on Sunday and, they will demand a result from their boys no matter the level of opposition and, neutrals should have an interesting afternoon of football to look up to.
By George Osei, Email: [email protected]