Click on the link below to watch the game. Kickoff is 4:30pm
Lineups:
Dreams FC battle Hearts of Oak at Dawu
Dreams FC will face Hearts of Oak at the Theatre of Dreams on Matchday 25 of the betPawa Premier League on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
The Still Believe lads who conceded late to lose 1-0 to Bechem United in midweek have won once in lost 3 and drawn one in their last five matches.
Hearts of Oak have won 3, drawn one and lost one in their last five matches and are still in contention for the League despite being without a substantive Coach since Slavko Matic left his post three weeks ago.
The last encounter between Dreams FC and Hearts of Oak ended 2-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium with Kwabena Van Dijk scoring a brace for Dreams FC. Dreams FC have won once in their last five matches against Hearts of Oak – with their last victory coming at the Theater of Dreams in the 2020-21 season when they won 2-0.
Hearts of Oak have beaten Dreams FC twice since the 2020-21 season with two of the encounters ending in a draw. The Phobians are yet to record a win against Dreams FC in Dawu since 2020-21 season.
Benin import Gael Aholou is in top form for Dreams FC but he is not the only player to watch in this game as they also boast of Michel Sarpong, Ishmael Dede, Emmanuel Adade and Abdul Jalilu and Black Meteors winger Sylvester Simba.
Hearts of Oak are buoyed by the return of Yassan Ouatching who is back from International duty with Central African Republic in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers whiles Eric Eso, Isaac Mensah, Kwadwo Obeng Junior, Konadu Yiadom and Dennis Korsah are all available for selection.
Coach David Ocloo have lost one game, won three and drawn one since he took over from Slavko Matic as acting head coach.
The game will be broadcast live on StarTimes Adepa channel 247 at 3pm.
In the other Saturday fixture – high flying Accra Lions will entertain strugglers King Faisal at the Accra Sports stadium. Lions lost to Hearts of Oak on Wednesday but have the impetus to trouble Godwin Ablordey’s King Faisal in Accra.
The Insah Allah lads recorded a 3-2 victory against Karela United at Abrankese – their 8th win of the campaign. The Insha Allah boys who have a game in hand won the first leg encounter 2-1 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. Accra Lions dropped to the 5th spot in the League table with 2 wins, two losses and one draw in their last five matches whiles King Faisal sit in 16th place with 28 points.
King Faisal have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 in their last five matches. Dominic Nsobila and Abass Samari Salifu have returned to the side after featuring for the Black Meteors in the U-23 qualifiers against Algeria.
The duo will be complimented by efforts of youngster Dominic Amponsah and Richmond Sackey. King Faisal have the likes of Baba Yahaya, William Denkyi, Abdul Latif, Benjamin Bature and Joseph Adu Dwomoh to rely upon on Saturday.
The match which is scheduled for 3pm kickoff.
Kotoko boss Abdulai Gazale rues missed chances in Legon Cities draw
Abdul Gazale, the interim manager of Asante Kotoko, has expressed concern over the team’s scoring form after their draw with Legon Cities.
The two sides shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw during matchday 24 of the Ghana Premier League, with Kotoko taking the lead through a penalty from captain Richard Boadu in the 17th minute. Legon Cities’ Alex Aso equalized in the 70th minute to earn a point for his team.
After the match, Gazale admitted that his team lacked firepower upfront and promised to work on improving their finishing.
“We should have won by 3-1 but unfortunately, we were unable to convert our chances which is a problem and we are going to work on it. For the past two days, that’s what we have been working on, how to finish and it was evidently poor in how we played. We are going to work on the final touches to convert our chances from tomorrow,” he said.
With the draw, Asante Kotoko has moved to the 6th position on the league table.
Derek Boateng supports Afena-Gyan’s decision to reject Black Meteors call up
Derek Boateng, a former Black Stars midfielder, has expressed his support for Felix Afena-Gyan’s decision to decline the invitation to play for the Black Meteors in the 2023 U-23 AFCON qualifiers.
The Cremonese attacker turned down the call-up to feature for the Ghana U-23 team in their game against Algeria in Kumasi, which the Black Meteors won 1-0 to qualify for the tournament.
Some Ghanaian football fans have criticized Afena-Gyan for his decision, but Boateng believes that the player was not treated fairly by the Ghana Football Association (GFA). Although Afena-Gyan played a crucial role in the Black Stars’ qualification for the World Cup 2022, he was not included in the final 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar.
Boateng stated that Ghanaians have been unfair to Afena-Gyan, and he supports the player’s decision to decline the invitation.
He believes that football is not only about on-field performance, but also about having a sound mindset. Boateng cited Afena-Gyan’s outstanding performance in the team’s two matches against Nigeria, where he fought against four Nigerian defenders as evidence of his talent.
Boateng expressed his disappointment that Afena-Gyan was not invited to the World Cup and is now being asked to play for the U-23 team.
He mentioned that Afena-Gyan’s management has stated that he is not ready to play for the team, and Boateng supports this decision.
“I really think Ghanaians haven’t been fair to that boy so right now that he has turned down an invitation, I support it. Football now is not about going to the field and performing a lot of things adds up that people don’t care about and only blame players that they don’t perform,” Derek Boateng stated on Asempa FM.
“Football is about the brain so if you don’t have a sound mindset you can never perform. In our two matches against Nigeria, he was our best player. He was the player that was fighting four Nigerian defenders because we were playing one top. He did everything possible, we qualified for the World Cup and they didn’t invite him and now they want him for under 23 and his management said he is not ready,” he stated.
The former Fulham midfielder urged the GFA to send a delegation to Italy to convince the player to play for the Black Meteors if the country is determined to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.
“If the FA thinks about him and his mental issues, they have to take a plane there and talk to him so that he feels important. This under-23 AFCON that they want to go, they will need him if they want to win. They have to call him not on phone but by going to see him in person.
“He needs to feel that we care about him because these are the things we do that make us lose good players. He is a young player so if you do that to him, then you are killing him. The FA know the right thing to do”, Derek Boateng said.
Kotoko’s Brazilian striker impresses interim coach Abdulai Gazale
Interim Asante Kotoko coach, Abdul Gazale, has expressed confidence in the abilities of Brazilian striker Matheus Medeiros de Souza following his performance in their draw against Legon Cities on Thursday.
The 26-year-old forward joined the Ghana Premier League champions in January and had only previously played as a substitute in their 4-0 victory over Accra Lions in February 2023.
Under previous manager Seydou Zerbo, he appeared to be out of favour, but he impressed Gazale and was only substituted in the 76th minute of the match at the El-Wak Stadium.
The coach praised Medeiros de Souza’s versatility, which contributed well to the team’s performance.
“He did exactly what he was asked of. He is very tough on the ball and very defensive-minded on the ball despite being a striker. He dropped deep to help in the build-ups and that was exactly what was expected of him and he needs to keep it up,” Gazale said.
Medeiros de Souza will be interested in getting more minutes under Abdul Gazale as the team’s quest to bounce back to winning ways, having failed to do so in their last two matches.
They will welcome 10th-placed Real Tamale United at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.
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Kotoko coach Abdulai Gazale confident of GPL title defense
Abdul Gazale, the acting head coach of Asante Kotoko, remains optimistic about his team’s chances of winning the Ghana Premier League title despite their recent lackluster performances.
On matchday 24, Kotoko drew 1-1 with Legon Cities at the El-Wak Stadium, failing to return to their winning ways.
The Porcupine Warriors took the lead through a penalty from captain Richard Boadu in the 17th minute, but Alex Aso’s goal in the 70th minute ensured the Royals walked away with a point. With the draw, Kotoko has moved to 6th position, while Cities are out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.
Despite this setback, Gazale believes that his team can still win the league, stating that Kotoko without a trophy is not complete, and the players are aware of that.
He affirmed that they would work hard and take each game as it comes, starting with their next match against RTU at home, which they cannot afford to lose or draw.
“Definitely, we are working hard because Kotoko without a trophy, there is no league. The players know it in their mind. We are going to work and make sure we get wins out of the 10 games left”
“We will take it game after game, our next game is against RTU at home, and we cannot afford to lose or draw. So we are going back to Kumasi, work hard and get the three maximum points” he said.
Deputy coach David Ocloo promises to fix Hearts of Oak’s goal scoring problem
During the ongoing Ghana Premier League campaign, Hearts of Oak has been struggling with scoring goals, according to David Ocloo, the team’s assistant coach.
Nevertheless, the team made a comeback from their previous 3-0 loss to Karela United by securing a 1-0 victory over Accra Lions on matchday 24 at the Accra Sports Stadium. Congolese midfielder Linda Mtange netted the winning goal in the 64th minute, providing the necessary three points for Hearts of Oak.
Ocloo admits that his team needs to enhance their offensive skills, and he has promised to concentrate on developing his attackers.
Despite creating several chances in their games, they find it difficult to convert them into goals, and they are working diligently to resolve this problem.
“We create a lot of chances but we rather don’t score. Apart from this match that we did not create much chances, we have been creating chances in our games”
“Even in Anyinase, we created some descent chances but we couldn’t score. Scoring has been a problem and we are working assiduously on it” he said.
“We will not be relegated,” says under-pressure Legon Cities coach Maxwell Konadu
Head coach of Legon Cities, Maxwell Konadu, has said his outfit has what it takes to maintain their Premier League status.
The Royals have endured a torrid campaign in the ongoing 2022–23 Ghana Premier League season.
After 24 matches played, Cities occupy the precarious 15th position on the 18-club league log with 28 points.
On Thursday, Legon City played a 1-1 draw with Kotoko as Richard Boadu’s 19th minute penalty for the Porcupine Warriors was cancelled by substitute Alex Aso City ten minutes after the hour mark.
Speaking after the game, Konadu indicated that they will maintain their Premier League status at the end of the season with 10 matches to end the campaign.
“We will not go to relegation. The team will not be relegated. We will climb up the ladder; trust me, we will climb up.”
Cities will next travel to Bibiani Gold Stars on matchday 25 at Dun’s Park on Monday.
2022/23 GPL Week 24: Full Scores, Goalscorers, Man-of-the-Match Winners, Top Scorers Chart & League Table
The 2022/23 Ghana Premier League continued with match-day 24 fixtures on Wednesday and Thursday.
Hearts of Oak bounced back from their weekend defeat to secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Accra Lions on Wednesday evening.
The Phobians put in a gritty performance and managed to break the deadlock in the second half thanks to Linda Mtange’s strike.
The win sees Hearts move up to third place in the league standings, just three points behind the leaders Aduana Stars.
Meanwhile, Aduana were left to rue missed opportunities as they were held to a second consecutive draw.
The league leaders thought they had secured all three points against Berekum Chelsea when Douglas Owusu Ansah scored in the 88th minute, but their hopes were dashed when the home team equalized in the dying moments of the game.
In Kumasi, King Faisal secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Karela United. Samuel Kusi, Abdul Latif, and Benjamin Bature were all on target for Faisal, while Emmanuel Boakye Owusu and Ishmael Nketiah scored for Karela.
Elsewhere, Samartex ended their two-game winless run with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over bottom-placed Kotoku Royals in Samreboi.
Bechem United maintained their impressive form, securing a 1-0 victory over 10-man Dreams FC at the Nana Gyeabour Park.
Tamale City also recorded a 2-1 win over Nsoatreman FC.
Medeama picked a slim 1-0 win over GoldStars at the Akoon Park. The game was rained off on Wednesday. It was continued on Thursday morning and Vincent Atinga grabbed the only goal on the day.
Legon Cities were held at home by Asante Kotoko in a 1-1 stalemate.
Scores at a glance;
NSENKYIRE: FC Samartex 1996 2-1 Kotoku Royals
Scorers: Ebenezer Acquah, Evans Osei Wusu || Francis Andy Kumi
Man of the match: Seidu Dauda (FC Samartex)
ABRANKESE: King Faisal 3-2 Karela United
Scorers: Samuel Kusi, Abdul Latif, Benjamin Bature|| Emmanuel Boakye Owusu, Ishmael Nketiah
Man of the match: Abdul Latif (King Faisal)
GOLDEN CITY: Berekum Chelsea 1-1 Aduana Stars
Scorers: Mezack Afriyie || Douglas Owusu Ansah
Man of the match: Joseph Addo (Aduana Stars)
ALIU MAHAMA: Tamale City 2-1 Nsoatreman FC
Scorers: John Kofi (OG), Mathew Agama || Walid Neymar Fuseini
Man of the match: Justice Mensah (Tamale City)
ACCRA: Hearts Of Oak 1-0 Accra Lions
Scorer: Linda Mtenge
Man of the match: Linda Mtenge (Hearts Of Oak)
AKOON PARK: Medeama SC 1-0 GoldStars
Scorer: Vincent Atinga
Man of the match: Vincent Atinga (Medeama SC)
FOSU GYEABOUR PARK: Bechem United 1-0 Dreams FC
Scorer: Emmanuel Annor
Man of the match: Isaiah Nyarko (Bechem United)
EL-WAK: Legon Cities 1-1 Asante Kotoko
Scorers: Alex Aso || Richard Boadu (pen)
Man of the match: Richmond Lamptey (Asante Kotoko)
ALIU MAHAMA: RTU 3-1 Great Olympics
Scorers: Mohammed Sadat, Stephen Badu Danquah(2x) || Yussif Abdul Razak
Man of the match: Stephen Badu Dankwah (RTU)
Topscorers Chart
Mezack Afriyie (Chelsea) – 12
Hafiz Konkoni (Bechem United) – 10
Abass Samari Salifu (Accra Lions) – 9
Sampson Eduku (Tamale City) – 9
Steven Mukwala (Kotoko) – 8
Abednego Tetteh (Goldstars) – 8
Francis Andy Kumi(Kotoku Royals) – 8
League Table
Highlights: Legon Cities 1-1 Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko played an entertaining draw with Legon Cities at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra.
The first half of the game was cagily contested but produced one goal with Kotoko captain Richard Boadu converting a spot kick before Alex Aso headed home an equalizer in the second half.
Watch highlights of the game below: