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Defending Ghana Premier League Champions, Asante Kotoko still has the highest wage bill in Ghana, the Onua Sports reports.

During the 2019/20 season, salaries continued to reduce despite the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic.

According to Accra-based Onua Sports in their lastest data, Asante Kotoko top the table with an overall wage bill of over GHC100,000, with the highest paid player pocketing Ghc30,000 a month.

Arch rivals Hearts of Oak is in second place and is shelling out GHC20,000 to pay their highest earner.

Great Olympics is next with GHC12,000, while Medeama closely trails them with GHC6,500 for their highest paid player.

Aduana Star’s wage bill for this season sits at GHC88,000.00 and top six completed by Goldstars, who are doing well as debutant with overall salary contributions at Ghc85,000.

Meanwhile, new comers Nsoatreman FC, Kotoku Royals, Samartex are leading the likes of Dreams FC, Berekum Chelsea, Karela United and King Faisal in the top 12 Highest-paying clubs in Ghana.

According to our close source, Tamale City are last on the list with the highest paid player earning GHC1,000.

Check the full list;

Formed in November 2018 and got promoted to the Ghana Premier League in 2022 following AshantiGold demotion into lower division over match fixing scandal, However the team from Tamale will begin their premiership dream in a tricky away fixture against Karela United.

After a short break after the 2022 Promotion Playoff, Tamale City will take the centre stage at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park for massive battles against the last season’s 4th placed team Karela United.

Elsewhere in Dormaa, the top fixture which dominates the entire fixture list will be Hearts of Oak vrs Aduana Stars.

Sunday’s match at the Nana Agyeman Badu Sports Stadium which kicks off at 15:00 GMT has generated the usual pre match talk.

Legon Cities will also host Medeama SC in a Accra on Sunday, whiles Real Tamale United play Samartex in a keenly contested fixture.

Accra Lions will make short journey to the Cape Coast Stadium to play newly promoted side Kotoku Royals.

Another big game on Sunday is the game at the Dun’s Park where Bibiani Goldstars welcome an improving Dreams FC.

The Dormaa Park on Monday will host the Berekum Chelsea and King Faisal.

Asante Kotoko SC have signed an agreement to play an international friendly against Central American country, Belize.

The Porcupines will engage the Jaguars in two exhibition games which will be held at the FFB Stadium in Belize.

The agreement was signed between Patrick Osei Agyemang (Songo) who represented Kotoko and Earl Jones who’s the General Secretary of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB).

The friendlies were made possible by the Mayor of Belmopan City, Her Worship Sheran Palacio. 

The two games are scheduled to be held in November during the Major of Belmopan’s investors conference.

Meanwhile, Asante Kotoko are currently in Benin preparing for the first of their CAF Champions League preliminary round clash against Burkinabe side RC Kadiogo on Monday.

Watch video of the agreement between the FFB and Asante Kotoko below:

The betPawa Premier League kicks start this weekend as each one hopes to start the new campaign with a win.

Accra Herarts of Oak will begin their 2022/23 betPawa Premier League on the road as they trek to Dormaa as guest of Aduana FC on Sunday. Coach Samuel Boadu will lead his side to Dormaa to face an old foe at the Agyeman Badu I Park – a place they have faltered in their last two visits.

With both sides signing some quality players ahead of the season, the Phobians will be aiming to pick all the spoils against the Ogya lads’ whiles Aduana FC – now under the guidance of Samuel Kwesi Fabian will hope to change the record of failing to win a game in their last fourteen Premier League fixtures.

Aduana FC finished 11^th last season whiles Hearts of Oak completed the season on the sixth spot.

Inform attacker Daniel Afriyie Barnieh is expected to lit up the Dormaa Park on Sunday following a blistering form that helped the Black Galaxies to beat Nigeria to the CHAN tournament. The Phobians have brought in Konadu Yiadom from WAFA, Eric Aso from AshantiGold SC and Eric Ofori Antwi from Legon Cities and Zakaria Yakubu from Swedru All Blacks FC.

Other new signings include Yassan Ouattching, Prince Darman, Wisdom Bumekpor and Junior Kaba – making them very strong ahead of the new campaign as they head into the season buoyed by the MTN FA Cup triumph and having another opportunity to challenge for silver this season. Despite the decision of Sulley Muntari not to renew his contract, Hearts of Oak possess a very strong team that have the quality to compete on the domestic front and in Africa.

Hearts of Oak have won only once in their four matches against Aduana FC – having lost two, won one and drawn one in the process.

For Aduana FC – two names stand out among the new arrivals – they include Justus Torsutsey (WAFA) and Anokye Badu (Berekum Chelsea). These two players have shown consistency in the domestic League for the past two seasons for WAFA and Berekum Chelsea and look set to bolster the side for this seasons campaign.

The two-time League Champions have also acquired the services of youngster Isaac Mintah who scored 22 goals for New Edubiase in last season’s Division One League. He brings flexibility, dexterity and variety to a side that boast of loads of experience.

Lots of action continues across the country on Sunday as Maxwell Konadu’s side Legon Cities hosts Medema SC at the El-Wak stadium. Medeama with a lot of signings will be looking forward to torment the Royals in Accra.

Elsewhere, Karela United will be looking to claim all the spoils when they battle with new boys, Tamale City FC at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park.

Bibiani Gold Stars had a good form in the 2021/22 season at home and will be looking to continue that run as they host Dreams FC who finished 13^th last season.

Newly promoted Premier League side Samartex 1996 FC will travel to the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium where they will play against Real Tamale United who didn’t have a good end to the 2021/22 Premier League. Samartex will be hoping to pick a point in their first ever Premier League game against the Tamale boys.

Another newly promoted side Kotoku Royals will taste Premier League football on Sunday in an uncompromising encounter against Accra Lions at the Cape Coast stadium.

The first round matches will be rounded up on Monday at the Agyemang Badu Park where Berekum Chelsea hosts King Faisal FC. The Insha Allah boys are confident that this season’s betPawa Premier League performance will improve as they aim to better their away form.

The 2022/23 Ghana Premier League season kicked off today, Saturday, September 10, 2022.

In the first match of the season, Great Olympics defeated Bechem United 1-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

A second half strike by substitute Samuel Abbey Ashie-Quaye was all the Dade Boys needed to record the slim victory over a persistent Bechem side.

It’s also the opening Yaw Preko wanted to begin this era as the head coach of Olympics, having replaced Annor Walker who had a decent time in charge for over two seasons.

Preko named a very familiar starting lineup to face the Hunters with old guys like Raymond Oko Grippman, Solomon Adomako, Razak Kassim, Abdul Razak Yussif and Ebenezer Sekyere all included.

Former Ghana international midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu was handed a starting role as he made his competitive debut in the Blue and White shirt.

In a first half of many action, both teams created a number of chances but could not score before the referee whistled for the break.

After recess, Great Olympics put up a good performance but was matched boot for boot by the visiting team.

Late in the 82nd minute, Samuel Abbey Quaye netted with a tap-in to open the scoring for Great Olympics.

Despite a spirited effort from Bechem United in the remainder of the exciting contest, the visitors could not score and had to succumb to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the end of the contest.

On Sunday, as many as six matches has been scheduled to be played.

Hearts of Oak’s encounter against Aduana Stars in Dormaa is the biggest game that will be played.