Asante Kotoko recovered from their midweek blip to trounce Accra Lions 4-0 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Monday night.
Rashid Nortey netted his debut goal before Ugandan forward Steven Mukwala added a brace and Enock Morisson sealed victory in a dominant performance by the Reds.
The Porcupine Warriors got off to a great start as they controlled the early exchanges and halfway through the first half, Nortey tapped in from close range to open the scoring.
Three minutes later, Mukwala glided through the Lions defence to double the lead as the Reds went into the break with a comfortable lead.
After the break, Mukwala netted his second to put the game beyond the visitors., who had come close before the attacker netted.
Accra Lions were hoping to get a consolation as they attacked the Reds, but with 25 minutes remaining Morrison sealed victory for Kotoko.
Kotoko have now scored nine goals in their last two matches at home, having thumped Kotoku Royals 5-1 in Kumasi last week.
Asante Kotoko Coach Seydou Zerbo has handed Augustine Agyapong and defender Sheriff Mohammed a Premier League start for today’s clash with Accra Lions after returning from the CHAN tournament.
The duo comes into the Kotoko team as two of three changes made from the team that lost 1-0 against Karela United at Anyinaase CAM Park.
There is no Justice Blay in the starting XI due to injury. Both Samuel Appiah and Eric Zeze have been benched.
Richard Boadu, who climbed from the bench in their last game has joined the team’s midfield for today’s encounter.
Frederick Asare will still be in posts ahead of Moise Poauty.
January s Rashid Nortey, Enoch Morrison, Nicholas Osei-Bonsu, Maxwell Agyemang, Georges Mfegue, Mohammed Sheriff and Steven Mukwala are still in for action.
Hearts of Oak coach Slavko Matic has refused to rule out the chances of the Phobians in the Ghana Premier League title race.
The Phobians succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Real Tamale United in matchday 16 of the domestic top-flight.
Manaf Umar, a former player of Hearts of Oak, struck a world-class goal that resulted in a 1-0 victory for Real Tamale United on Sunday night.
The defeat sends the rainbow boys to the fifth position with 25 points after 16 games
Despite trailing log leaders Aduana Stars with six points, the Serbian trainer refused to rule out the Phobians out of the GPL race.
“Of course [It’s not over yet]. A lot of games. About 18 games. We still have a chance. We must believe more. We must work harder.
“The defeat is painful but we must continue. Tomorrow is another day. We need to prepare for the next match. This is football,” he said confidently after their defeat to Real Tamale United.
The 2022/23 Ghana Premier League continued with matchday 16 fixtures over the weekend across the venues, providing a lot of excitement.
Midfielder Manaf Umar did not celebrate after a late winner for Real Tamale United against his former club Hearts of Oak at the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Sunday evening.
Hearts of Oak were left to rue their early misses as Umar punished the Phobians with an absolutely stunning finish. He hit the ball from a long distance, and it flew past goalkeeper Richmond Ayi.
Hearts of Oak would have remained three points behind Aduana had they recorded a win, but the defeat drops them from second to fourth, just a point ahead of sixth-placed RTU.
Aduana Stars extended their lead at the top of the Ghana Premier League with a 2-0 home win over Nsoatreman.
The goals came from Gabriel Akwasi Mensah and Richards Afriyie, as Aduana extended their lead at the top to five points after a second consecutive victory. Berekum Chelsea ended Bechem United’s recent good form with a 1-0 victory over the Hunters on Sunday.
Fravien Kongoza was the hero, scoring the game’s only goal seconds to halftime.
Dreams FC scored in the 96th minute to earn a point against Great Olympics, leaving the host frustrated at the Accra Sports Stadium as they failed to win for the second week in a row.
Bibiani Gold Stars moved up to second place after a 2-0 home win over Karela United. Medeama also defeated Samartex by the same scoreline in what was Medeama captain Tetteh Zutah’s final game.
Goals from Jonah Attuquaye, Felix Hammond and Nasiru Moro helped Legon Cities end a six games winless run as they beat King Faisal 3-1.
Champions Asante Kotoko trounced Accra Lions 4-0 on Monday night at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Real Tamale United secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Hearts of Oak in a tightly contested match at the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Sunday evening.
The game was evenly poised throughout with both sides creating chances, but it was former Hearts of Oak player Manaf Umar who made the difference with a stunning goal in the 83rd minute.
Umar’s strike from long range beat the goalkeeper Richmond Ayi and proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The goal was a testament to Umar’s quality and proved to be a bitter pill to swallow for the Hearts of Oak faithful who were hoping for a win to keep their title hopes alive.
Hearts of Oak came into the game needing the win to remain three points behind league leaders Aduana Stars, but the defeat has seen them drop from second to fifth place, just one point ahead of RTU who have moved up to sixth.
Despite their best efforts, Hearts of Oak were unable to find an equaliser and the game ended in a deserved win for RTU. It was an entertaining and hard-fought encounter that saw Real Tamale United secure an important three points against one of title contenders.
The win will give RTU a much-needed boost as they look to move into top four, while Hearts of Oak will be left ruing missed opportunities and will need to regroup as they look to get back to winning ways.
Gold Stars secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Karela United at Dun’s Park on Sunday, February 5 2023.
After falling to rare defeat to relegation threatened Kotoku Royals, Micheal Osei’s boy knew they had to return not just to winning ways but to the top 4 on the League standings as well.
Goals from Emmanuel Appau and Noah Nartey in the 13th and 17th minutes respectively sealed the win for Gold Stars who find themselves in 3rd place with 26 points on the League log.
Karela failed to replicate their performance against Kotoko. They were toothless in front of goal and could have conceded more. The Nzema based side will be pleased it was a humiliating defeat.
Medeama defeated Samartex 2-0 in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday to move up to mid-table in the domestic top-flight.
Two second-half goals from Jonathan Sowah and Vincent Atingah were enough to hand the home side maximum points at the Akoon Community Park.
After a goalless first half punctuated with chances for both teams, the Mauve and Yellow went ahead after striker Jonathan Sowah tucked home the opener in the 50th minute.
He stole the ball off Godwin Abusah and tip-toed but the defender’s goal-line clearance was deemed to have crossed the line.
The opener engineered confidence in Umar Rabi’s side as they continued to pile pressure.
In one of the onslaughts, substitute Mukhtar Moro intelligently fell on the ground following a challenge and referee Joseph Kwofie had no choice but to point to the spot kick.
Evergreen Medeama deputy captain Vincent Atingah stepped up and completely displaced Lawrence Ansah for the second goal in the 68th minute.
However, Medeama’s win could come with a cost after highly talented defender Nurudeen Abdulai was stretched off with few minutes left on the clock.
The defender will undergo further scan on Monday to determine the extent of the injury picked up by the centre-back.
The win has lifted the two-time FA Cup winners to 7th on the table while their Western regional neighbours are left 13th on the log sheet.
Medeama travel to Tamale to battle Tamale City on the final day of the first round while Samartex host Legon Cities at Aboi next weekend.
Berekum Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Bechem United at the Golden City Park on Sunday, February 5 2023.
Chelsea needed to respond positively after their 2-1 defeat to Nsoatreman, and they did so through Fravien Kongoza’s goal in stoppage time of the first half.
Bechem United were hoping to build up on their 6-2 hammering of RTU but tried without success to rescue a point from this game. In spite of this loss, The Hunters still remain 2nd on the League standings.
Berekum Chelsea climb to 9th position on the League log after today’s win.
Accra Sports Stadium played host to a thrilling encounter on Sunday afternoon, as Great Olympics took on Dreams FC.
The match saw both teams come into the game without a win in their last games, and both looking to bounce back to winning ways.
The home side got off to a flying start, with midfielder Michael Osei opening the scoring in the 15th minute.
Great Olympics dominated play for much of the first half, but Dreams FC came back strong in the second half, searching for an equalizer.
As the game approached the final whistle, it looked as though Great Olympics would secure all three points, but in the 96th minute, midfielder Collins Boah scored a dramatic equalizer for Dreams FC to secure a draw.
The result sees Great Olympics stay in 7th place on the league table, while Dreams FC remain in 13th place.
Despite the draw, both teams will be pleased with the performance and will be eager to secure a win in their next fixtures.
