Sports
Berekum Chelsea, Hearts of Oak set for a crucial clash today
Wednesday’s Ghana Premier League offering sees Berekum Chelsea host giants Hearts of Oak in a match of epic proportions to wrap up matchday-29 of the Ghana Premier League.
While Samuel Boadu witnessed his crop fight back brilliantly against Legon Cities despite losing, the Phobians were made to pay for a shoddy first half in an excruciating 1-0 derby defeat to Accra Lions on Wednesday.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for Hearts of Oak when the half-time whistle blew at the Accra Sports Stadium, as Ibrahim Issah’s exquisite second-half strike propelled Lions to victory, thanks in no small part to familiar Hearts’ wastefulness in the final third.
Hearts of Oak coach Abubakar Ouattara will feel gutted and pressured as his side’s winless run stretches to two matches having lost 2-0 at Legon Cities last week.
While profligacy has reared its ugly head more often than not for Hearts this season, prolific performances have not been easy to come by in the capital after recording just one and suffered four defeats in their last five matches.
Berekum Chelsea’s penchant for goal-laden games at home and Hearts of Oak’s engrossing defeat against Accra Lions certainly gives rise to an all-action affair on Wednesday at the Golden City park.
Also licking the wounds from their nerve-racking and bewitching 3-2 defeat at Legon Cities last weekend, Chelsea will be aiming to return to winning ways when they entertain the capital giants.
Samuel Boadu’s men recorded a 2-0 win over Medeama in their last home match and will hope to consolidate their position on the league table.
Chelsea have accumulated 41 points from 28 matches and sit 6th on the table, having won 2, drawn 1 and lost 1 in their last 5 outings.
Chelsea have recorded 30 points at home, scoring 17 and conceding 5. They are ranked as the 6th best home side in this campaign.
Coach Samuel Boadu’s side are unbeaten in their last 5 home games and are the second club with the least number of goals conceded at home (5).
Hearts of Oak have recorded just 1 win in their last 5 games with 4 defeats. They are 12th on the table with 35 points. The Phobians have managed to accumulate 12 points away from home, scoring 10 and conceding 16. They are ranked as the 6th best away side in the league. Hearts of Oak are winless in their last 3 consecutive away games.
Berekum Chelsea have played Hearts of Oak three times at home in the league since 2020/21 season and all ended in a goalless draw.
The Phobians are yet to find the back of the net at the Golden City Park in Berekum since 2020/21.
Premier league top scorer Stephen Amankonah will be available for the game on Wednesday with the hope of extending his 12-goal tally.
Chelsea can rely on other key players like Afriyie Mezack, Patrick Ansu, Awuah Dramani, Ahmed Adams, Patrick Asiedu, Yaw Dankwah, Zakaria Fuseini, Hubert Gyan, Vincent Adjei, Collins Ameyaw, Shaibu Haruna and Emmanuel Sarpong.
Youngster Hamza Issah, the second top scorer in the league is expected to start the game for the Phobians on Wednesday.
Other players include, Kofi Agbesimah, David Oppong Afrane, Kasim Cisse, Ibrahim Salifu, Glid Otanga, Linda Mtange, Salim Adams, Denis Korsah, Yaw Amankwah Baah, Micheal Ampadu, Thomas Winimi and Enock Asubonteng all available for selection.
Sports
Samartex up for Raja challenge
Coach Nurudeen Amadu
CAF Champions League campaigners, Samartex FC, will tomorrow face Moroccan giants, Raja Casablanca, in the second round preliminary stage first leg match at the Accra Sports Stadium at 3pm.
Samartex secured passage to the second round after beating Cameroonian champions, Victoria United, 1-0 in both home and away fixtures.
Raja qualified to this stage after ‘dismantling’ Nigerien side, Association Sportive de la Garde Nationale Nigérienne, (AS GNN) 7-1 on aggregate.
Samartex is reminiscing a chance to battle one of Africa’s greatest sides en route to playing at the group stages of the competition.
Ghanaians are well aware of the daunting task that face the current league champions but remain hopeful Samartex has what it takes to combat Raja.
Coach Amadu says they are unfased by the fire power of the visitors and has a plan to deal with the visitors.
Speaking ahead of the game, coach Amadu stated that, “Raja Casablanca scoring seven goals does not scare us; this is football and anything can happened. We know that it is going to be a very tough game, but we are ready for the task.”
Having drawn blank in their first league game which served as preparation for tomorrow’s game, Coach Amadu would be hoping Baba Hamadu Musa, Emmanuel Mamah, Michael Ephson and Isaac Afful have a good day in front of goal to take their chances.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
Sports
Up your game, Stars
Black Stars players celebrate a goal
Four days after Ghana’s pride as a football nation was punctured badly at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, fans kept hopes alive, believing that the Black Stars would bounce back with a victory over Niger at a neutral venue.
But that was not to be as the team stumbled again, conceding a late goal by the Nigeriens to deny the Black Stars a vital three points to revive their campaign to Morocco 2025 AFCON.
The two heartbreaks contributed to make the week one that football fans would want to erase from their memories.
Without any major achievement in recent years from the Black Stars, Ghanaians have guarded jealously a striking, remarkable and enviable record of making the Baba Yara Stadium venue a fortress for over 20 years.
Statistically, Ghana has been unbeaten in the last 24 years at the venue. That should be enough confidence booster for any faint-hearted fan.
But to see that record torn into pieces by a country not considered as a powerhouse is certainly a bitter pill to swallow.
The fans reacted aggressively following the shock defeat by causing destruction to facilities in the stadium, an action that cannot be justified but it is important to also state how unacceptable it was.
With those points lost, attention switched to a do-or-die battle against Niger at a neutral ground.
Despite the poor show in the first game, a bit of confidence prevailed ahead of the Niger game.
That stemmed from the blame game by officialdom on the quality of the pitch at the Kumasi Stadium. Photos and videos of the Berkane pitch suddenly dominated social media space, giving the hope that fans were about to see the Black Stars all expected.
Indeed, they showed glimpses of that but like it is always said, the end justifies the means.
Despite taking a first half lead from defender Alidu Seidu, the Stars went to sleep while the Nigeriens took over and stunned with the equaliser.
That was a blow too heavy for the fans to take and exposed what looks like a team lacking quality on the field and the bench.
Truth be told, watching the Black Stars is becoming a hell of a task for a lot of fans. Getting good pitches to play on has become a challenge. That is compounded by the poor display from the same players that performs incredibly with their respective teams abroad.
For Otto Addo, he is fast losing the confidence fans had in him and the earlier he ends the trend, the better would it be for him.
Struggling with AFCON qualifiers is not a good signal because it is the same matches all other countries are using to test their strength ahead of the World Cup qualifiers which would demand far more than what is at stake now.
By Andrew Nortey
