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Hearts will win if you rely on juju – Stephen Oduro advises Kotoko players

Asante Kotoko great, Stephen Oduro has advised the Porcupines to steadfast in prayers to beat their rivals rather than relying on juju ahead of Sunday’s Super Clash with Hearts of Oak.

The title holders of the Premier League will host Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium in a week seven outstanding game of the local league.

Superstitious Ghana players are believed to be handing fortunes to witchdoctors in a bid to shine or secure a win in a Super Clash.

However, the 38-year-old who currently lives in the United States has urged his former club to dedicate themselves to the most high since that is the only way they can humble Hearts of Oak spiritually.

“Hearts of Oak is a team that if you rely on black magic to play against them, you will lose so I will plead with the players [of Asante Kotoko] that for this match they should all go down on their knees and pray, or all of them should meet in camp and have a devotion and fellowship [with God] every morning or before they go to bed. They should rely on God and ask for grace from God,” he told Ghanasportspage.com

“When it comes to that time [of playing against Hearts of Oak], that is when you will see some officials of the club and some Circles [the supporters wing the the club] leaders coming to give this or that to the players, and that is where you see players arriving on the pitch looking very heavy. You can see that you are not of yourself”, he added

Asante Kotoko currently leads the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League with 36 points after 16 games, 12 points better than the Phobians who occupy the 8th position.

Check out Hearts of Oak’s 21-man squad list to face Asante Kotoko on Sunday; Muntari, others included

Coach Samuel Boadu has named a strong 21-man Hearts of Oak squad ahead of their outstanding league game against rivals Asante Kotoko on Sunday.

The Ghana Premier League champions will welcome the current league leaders to the Accra Sports Stadium at 15:00 GMT.

The Phobians drew goalless with RTU last weekend in their match week 17 fixture in Tamale. The defending champions will be returning to Accra to try and grab all three points to help their title defense.

READ ALSO: Check Asante Kotoko squad list for Hearts Of Oak clash on Sunday

New signings, Sulley Muntari and Dennis Korsah who made their full debut against RTU last weekend have been named in the squad for the Super Clash.

Below is a full list of the squad for the game.

GOALKEEPERS

  • Richard Attah, Richmond Ayi

DEFENDERS

  • Fatawu Mohammed, Mohammed Alhassan, Robert Addo Sowah, Larry Sumaila, William Dankyi, Dennis Korsah, James Sewornu

MIDFIELDERS

  • Sulley Muntari, Frederick Ansah Botchway, Ushau Abu, Aziz Nurudeen, Amankwaah Baafi, Enock Asubonteng, Gladson Awako, Benjamin Yorke, Seidu Suraj.

FORWARDS

  • Afriyie Barnieh, Kofi Kordzi, Kojo Obeng Jnr

NSA allows 100% Accra Sports Stadium capacity for Hearts vs Kotoko game on Sunday

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The 2021/22 Ghana Premier League (GPL) match-day 7 outstanding game between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko will be played in a full capacity Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, February 20.

A signed statement by Peter Twumasi, the Director-General for the National Sports Authority (NSA) and issued late Friday said the decision was taken after consultations with the necessary agencies.

“Per consultation of Governing Board of the Authority with the Ghana Health Service/COVID-19 Taskforce, I have been directed to officially inform you that as the clubs receive clearance to play full capacity at the Accra Sports Stadium during the match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Sunday 20th February 2022, all attendees must strictly wear facemasks and observe social distancing.

“You are, therefore, advised to work closely with the Authority’s Management, COVID-19 Taskforce and other stakeholders to enforce this directive.

“Ghana Health Service will also mount vaccination centres to offer free COVID-19 vaccination to spectators and the general public.”

This is the first time since 2019 when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Ghana that fans will fill a stadium for a league game.

Prior to the start of the 2020/21 season, the government announced a 25% cap for fans at various match centers after an initial directive to play at empty stadiums.

-Footyghana

“Hearts of Oak in crisis is more dangerous than Hearts of Oak in form” – Eric Bekoe

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Former Asante Kotoko striker, Eric Kwabena Bekoe has a word of caution to the vociferous fans of the club to be careful of Hearts Of Oak ahead of Sunday’s titanic clash .

The two biggest clubs – Hearts and Kotoko – will face off in a week 7 outstanding fixture of the 221/22 Ghana Premier League on Sunday 20th February 2022 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Kotoko are in a devastating form ahead of the duel. They currently sit top of the league log with 36 points after 16 games – 12 points better than their opponent who occupies the 8th spot.

Eric Bekoe

Again, Hearts Of Oak – defending champions of the league – go into the titanic clash with just a win from their last four games.

But Bekoe has warned Kotoko fans to thread cautiously and not underrate Hearts because of their recent poor form.

“Kotoko & Hearts of Oak is not about form guide, whoever tells you this game is about form is lying to you. If this game is about form, the [Kotoko] team from 2007/08 should have beaten Hearts during our time” – Eric Bekoe told Takoradi-based Empire FM.

“Hearts of Oak in crisis are more dangerous than Hearts of Oak in form. We should just avoid complacency, go all out and make sure we play every minute with all seriousness.” – Bekoe added.

Bekoe scored the second of Kotoko’s three goals in the 2007/08 Super Clash game that sold out an incredible six-goal thriller.

He went on to win that season’s golden boot award with 17 goals.

Ibrahim Sadiq joins BK Häcken

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Former Ghana U-17 World Cup forward, Ibrahim Sadiq has joined Swedish topflight side BK Häcken on a permanent transfer.

The 21-year-old winger – who featured for the Black Starlets at the 2017 Fifa U-17 World Cup in India – on Friday, February 18 2022, signed a three-year contract with the Allsvenskan side, marking the end of a four-year stint with Danish side FC Nordsjælland.

“I am very happy to be ready for BK Häcken and have received a very good reception from the entire organization.

“Häcken is a well-known club for me as I have been to the Gothia Cup on three occasions and won gold all the time. I know that the club has followed me over the years and I am happy to finally be here,” Sadiq stated in his first interview.

Sadiq was raised by FC Nordsjælland’s sister club the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana which is a well-known club in the Gothia Cup competition. He was involved in winning the tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

As a player Sadiq describes himself as fast, strong and explosive, with good head games and a nose for goal.

“After four years in Denmark, which has felt like a second home for me, I am ready to try new challenges and go outside my safety zone. I’m here to have a good season with the team and win titles. I look forward to playing for the supporters, showcasing my talent and contributing as much joy as I can,” he noted.

Sports Manager Martin Ericsson also said: “Ibrahim is a player with extreme speed and resilience, while he has a good technique to complement it with. It feels very exciting to be able to take part in his top qualities, at the same time as we can be sure that he has received a good education at Right to Dream and North Zealand. He has long been ranked highly as a great talent, but we believe that there is a great development potential left, which we hope and believe we can achieve in the yellow-black shirt.

During the current season in the Danish Superliga, Ibrahim Sadiq managed six appearances, two of which were from the start.

Ibrahim Sadiq becomes the 7th Ghanaian after Kassenu Ghandi, Malik Abubakari, Majeed Waris, Kwame Kizito, Mohammed Abubakari and Nasiru Mohammed to be signed by BK Häcken.

Prophet Mensah Otabil predicts huge victory for Kotoko in Sunday’s Super Clash [+VIDEO]

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The man of God has insisted that Asante Kotoko will score three goals whether rain or shine in the Super Clash on Sunday

Founder and leader of Christ True Word of God Ministries, Prophet Kwaku Mensah Otabil, has revealed that Asante Kotoko will humiliate rivals Hearts of Oak in the Super Clash at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

According to the man of God, who prophesied in 2019 that Kurt Okraku will defeat George Afriyie to win the Ghana FA presidential elections, Kotoko will score more than two goals in the game.

Although, Hearts have several players expected to miss the game, former AC Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari will likely start the game after initial reports suggested he will miss them due to technicalities.

Otabil insists that Kotoko will win 3-0 if Gladson Awako doesn’t play a part of the game and will win 3-1 if Awako play part of it.

“Kotoko will defeat Hearts by hook or crook on Sunday. They will not be able to stand the might of Kotoko,” Prophet Mensah Otabil told Ashh FM in an interview.

“Kotoko will outplay Hearts on the day and go on to win 3-0 if Awako doesn’t play. Should they start or introduce Awako in the game, they will pull one back,” he added.

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Kotoko held their last training in Kumasi on Thursday and headed to Accra on Friday to continue their fine tuning and Otabil says they will win the Premier League trophy for the next seven years.

“Per what I have seen in the realms of the spirit on December 24, Asante Kotoko is going to win the Ghana Premier League in 2022,” he said.

“They will continue to win the league title in the next five seasons. If referees are going to be fair to Asante Kotoko and handle their games well, Kotoko are going to win the league consecutively.

“I am a staunch Hearts of Oak fan. My parents are and everyone in my family support Hearts but what God has shown to me is what I can and will always say,” he added.

Kotoko are at the top of the log with 36 points, twelve points better than Hearts who are without a win after two games against Great Olympics and Real Tamale United.

-Ashesgyamera.com

Felix Annan eyeing Asante Kotoko return

Former Asante Kotoko captain, Felix Annan has revealed that he will one day return to serve the club again before retiring from active football.

Annan left the Porcupines five months ago after mutually terminating his contract with the club. Asante Kotoko and Felix Annan enjoyed honeymoon spells alongside some tough moments in a remarkable 10 years flooded with trophies.

The trusted goalkeeper dropped down the pecking order since the arrival of Razak Abalora and Kwame Baah with 4 combined appearances from the possible 40 fixtures for Asante Kotoko SC last season.

However, the 27-year-old who currently plays for US-based club Maryland Bob Cats FC says he has an unfinished business with the Porcupines and will one day return to the serve the club again.

“One day I will still serve Kotoko. I love the club. I will serve Kotoko either as a goalkeeper or in a different capacity. I love the club and its been part of me,” Annan told Kumasi-based Akoma FM.

Felix Annan joined Asante Kotoko in 2011 from Feyenoord, now WAFA. The talented goalkeeper spent time on loan at Real Tamale United and WAFA before cementing a place in the Kotoko set up and going on to become the skipper of the team.

Eric Bekoe backs Franck Etouga to break his goalscoring record at Asante Kotoko

Former Asante Kotoko striker, Eric Bekoe has said that he is backing Cameroonian striker Franck Mbella Etouga to break his goal scoring record at the club.

The 20-year-old Cameroonian youth star has been in a rich vein of form in his first season at Kotoko, netting 11 times in 12 games for the Porcupines in the first round of the season.

What is special about his performance is that, he has netted two hat tricks so far which makes him the first Asante Kotoko player to do so in the Premier League era.

However, Bekoe who first came to prominence on the local scene when he starred for Asante Kotoko in the 2007/2008 Ghana premier league has heaped praises on the Cameroonian centre-forward, backing him to break his goal scoring record at the club.

“Even if it has take fasting for the Cameroonian (Mbella) to break my record, I will do it. After watching his first match, I said this guy was in for glory because his composure in the 18-yard box is exceptional,” Bekoe said in an interview with Kumasi-based Ashh FM.

“I wish the boy (Etouga) was a Ghanaian. Ghana lack box-box strikers like him but all the credit should go to two players, Lamptey and Mfegue. It’s like Kwabena Yaro and Eric Bekoe chemistry, I dove my hat for him always, he’s the reason I made my name at Asante Kotoko because I didn’t know how to dribble, mine was just the finishing. 

“It’s been a while since I went to stadium but because of Mbella, I will be at stadium this weekend, I want to go and see my style, what I mean is that, at first when you were going to stadium you had one particular player you were going to watch but it’s hard to find such today so since we have such a prominent striker, forget about the fact that we are playing away, let’s go and support our own which is Mbella”

“This is a player to watch, I’ve not had any contact with him but I love him from afar and he’s a boy who deserve all our prayers to clinch the goalking. He has already set a record if my memory serves me right as the only Kotoko striker to score two hat tricks in a season”

“It will take huge money to keep this guy (Mbella) even in the second round, let’s face the fact. Let’s force him to marry here (Kumasi) so he doesn’t leave us,” Bekoe jokingly said.

 “Kwame Opoku wasn’t a box-box striker, he’s the Ronaldo type of a striker who always want to play but we’ve now gotten another Eric Bekoe in the shape of Mbella, he doesn’t exert much energy to play but he’s always at the right place at the right time. Mbella is a sensational striker and his type of striking is rare in the system and I always tell my brother at the home that, I pray he doesn’t get injured until the season ends. Injuries worry players’ career, had it not been that, maybe I would be playing Real Madrid or any other top teams by now. 

In the season 2007/08, with a total of 17 goals in 23 matches, Bekoe was crowned the top scorer of the Premier League and also won the league with Kotoko as well as the Presidents Cup in the same year.

He also netted 10 goals in the CAF Confederation Cup which won him the top scorer’s gong before leaving the Porcupines to join Petrojet in Egypt.

Meanwhile, Mbella will be in action on Sunday when Kotoko play as guest to rivals Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium in the Super Clash.

With eighteen games to play, can Mbella to the unthinkable breaking Bekoe’s 17-goal record and win the goal king award?

Check Asante Kotoko squad list for Hearts Of Oak clash on Sunday

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Asante Kotoko head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum has named a 20-man squad list for their Ghana Premier League matchday 7 outstanding fixture against Hearts Of Oak on Sunday afternoon.

The Porcupines will be hoping to beat their arch-rivals who have had some poor runs in the all-important game.

Midfielder, Mudasiru Salifu has returned to the squad after he was left out of the squad against Accra Lions due to technical reasons.

Georges Mfegue and Ibrahim Imoro have also returned to the matchday squad after they missed Kotoko’s last game.

Youngster Isaac Oppong has also recovered fully from the injury he sustained few weeks ago.

According to Kotoko Lovers TV, Dr. Ogum has named the following players for the Hearts game.

Below is the Asante Kotoko squad for the Hearts Of Oak game:

Goalkeepers:

Danlad Ibrahim
Kwame Baah

Defenders:

Christopher Nettey
Augustine Agyapong
Patrick Asmah
Yussif Mubarik
Abdul Ganiyu Ismail
Maxwell Agyemang
Imoro Ibrahim

Midfielders:

Richard Boadu
Richmond Lamptey
Justice Blay
Sheriff Mohammed
Dickson Afoakwa
Mudasiru Salifu
Isaac Oppong

Forwards:

Stephen Amankona
Mbella Etouga Thiery
Samuel Boateng
Georges Mfegue

Ex-Hearts captain Amankwah Mireku hails Asante Kotoko coach Prosper Narteh ahead of Sunday’s Super Clash

Former Hearts of Oak captain, Yaw Amankwah Mireku has commended Asante Kotoko coach Dr. Prosper Ogum ahead of the Super Clash.

Sunday will see the two biggest clubs in the history of Ghana football go head to head for the first time in the ongoing 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season.

Coach Narteh has guided the Porcupines to the top of the league table with 36 points after 16 matches played so far.

Kotoko head into the outstanding match week seven encounter 12 points ahead of defending league champions Hearts.

”Seriously it is not easy to build a team within this short time and play so well like that. I think the Kotoko coach Dr. Prosper Narteh has done a good job so far for the club,” said Amankwah Mireku on Oyerepa FM.

“Asante Kotoko have an all-round team and that makes it difficult to play against them but I believe the players of Hearts of Oak will be more determined to beat them on Sunday”

“Asante Kotoko undoubtedly, have a good team on paper going into Sunday’s game against Hearts of Oak but I believe with hard work and determination, Hearts will be able to win the game to make the fans happy, it’s very possible,” he added.

Asante Kotoko have been allocated only 1000 tickets for the game against Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports stadium. 

Kotoko’s share of the tickets comes after the NSA’s request for permission to admit more than 25 percent of fans for the game was turned down by the government COVID-19 Task Force.

As part of government measures to control the spread of the virus, 25 percent of spectators have been attending matches at the various stadia since January 2021.

A total number of 9,200 tickets have been printed for the 40,000 seater stadium, representing 25% of the total capacity.