Sports
Outstanding Premier League Matchday 20 Preview
The outstanding matchday 20 of the Premier League takes place across seven centres on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
Here is a preview of Wednesday’s matches.
Young Apostles vs Asante Kotoko
Young Apostles welcome Asante Kotoko to the Wenchi Sports Stadium on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Apostles’ 1-0 victory over bottom-placed Accra Lions last Saturday was their seventh win in the league this season after 21 matches. They’ve secured 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in the last five outings, having scored 14 and conceded 20 in the process.
Young Apostles are currently occupying the 10th position in the league table with 27 points. They head into this fixture with an unbeaten record in their last five successive home league games (W3, D2) without conceding in four of those games. The Wenchi lads will be desperate to grab all the spoils over the Ghanaian giants on Wednesday.
League leaders Asante Kotoko came from behind to salvage a point in a very absorbing fixture at Samartex over the weekend. That victory has seen the Porcupine Warriors record the most wins in the league so far (11). They’ve amassed 38 points in 21 league matches, having scored the joint most goals (24) and conceded 14.
Prosper Nartey Ogum’s men are the third-best away performers in the league currently and will be desperate to secure all the spoils away from home on Wednesday when they trip to Young Apostles.
Young Apostles are playing Asante Kotoko at home in the league for the first time since the Wenchi lads gained promotion into the Premier League this season.
FC Samartex 1996 vs Medeama SC
FC Samartex 1996 will hope to continue their impressive form when they entertain Medeama SC at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena on Wednesday March 19, 2025.
The league champions are unbeaten in their last seven consecutive league matches (W2, D5), having scored 14 and conceded the second joint least goals (11).
They are currently 8th in the league table with 28 points. The Timber Giants come into this fixture as the sixth weakest home side after 11 matches at home. They will be keen to snatch the maximum points on Wednesday over a Medeama SC side they’ve never lost to at home in the league since 2022.
The Mauve and Yellow have slipped to the 7th position in the league table with 32 points, following two wins and three defeats in the last five outings.
They’ve scored the second most goals in the league (22) and conceded 19. Medeama SC head into this fixture with three successive defeats in their last five matches away from home and will aim for a decent result on Wednesday.
FC Samartex 1996 have played Medeama SC twice at home in the league since 2022/23 season with FC Samartex 1996 winning one and drawing one.
In the 2022/23 season, FC Samartex drew goalless with Medeama SC and won 1-0 in the 2023/24 season.
Bechem United vs Hearts of Oak
Bechem United entertain Hearts of Oak at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Ernest Danso’s men ended their two-game losing streak by defeating Premier League new boys Vision FC with two unanswered goals last time out (W2, D1, L2). The Hunters are currently 6th in the league table with 33 points, having scored the third joint most goals (21) and conceded 14. United are the best home performers in the league so far (W8, D2). They head into this fixture as the only team yet to concede at or suffer defeat at home this season. They will seek to continue their impressive home form on Wednesday.
Hearts of Oak’s seven-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end at the weekend as they were beaten 0-1 by Dreams FC at home soil (W2, D2, L1). They’ve amassed 36 points in 21 league matches, and are currently occupying the 4th position. They’ve scored 19 and conceded the least goals in the league (11). The Phobians are the second best away performers and will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways on Wednesday when they trip to Bechem.
Bechem United have played Hearts of Oak four times at home in the league sine 2020/21 season with the Hunters winning one, drawing one and losing two.
In the 2020/21 season, Bechem United lost 0-1 to Hearts of Oak, drawn 1-1 in the 2021/22 season, won 1-0 in the 2022/23 season and suffered a 2-3 defeat in the 2023/24 season.
Basake Holy Stars vs Gold Stars FC
Basake Holy Stars will aim to get back to winning ways when they welcome Gold Stars FC to the Ampain AAK II Sports Arena on Wednesday.
Hoy Stars are winless in their last five league matches (D3, L2), having scored the third joint most goals (21) and conceded the third joint most goals (22). They are 12th in the league table with 24 points.
The Aiyinase lads have conceded just a single goal in their last five home matches (W3, D2) and are among the top ten best home sides in the league currently. They will yearn for all the spoils on Wednesday.
Gold Stars FC remain in the second position in the league table with 37 points despite suffering 2-0 defeat at Aduana FC over the weekend (W2, D1, L2). They’ve scored 20 and conceded the second joint least goals (12) ahead of the clash. The Miners come into this fixture with three defeats in their last five matches away from home (W1, D1) and will be keen to secure victory on Wednesday.
Basake Holy Stars are playing Gold Stars FC at home in the league for the first time since the Aiyinase lads gained promotion in the Premier League this season.
Heart of Lions vs Dreams FC
Dreams FC travel to the Kpando Sports Stadium to battle Heart of Lions on Wednesday.
An impressive 1-0 victory at home against struggling Karela United last Sunday has seen Bashiru Hayford’s men record their tenth win in the league this season. They are currently 3rd in the league table with 37 points, having scored 20 and conceded the second joint least goals (12).
The Kpando lads are the second best home performers, they’ve suffered just a single defeat in their 11 home matches played this season (W8, D2, L1). They will seek to maintain their remarkable home form on Wednesday.
Dreams FC ended Heart of Oak’s seven-game unbeaten streak in a 1-0 victory away from home last time out. The Believers are currently 13th in the league table with 24 points after 21 rounds of matches. They’ve won 2, drawn 2 and suffered just single defeat in the last five outings, having scored the least goals (11) and conceded 16. Head Coach Abdul Karim Zito’s men head into this fixture as the eighth best away side and will aim for a rare outcome on Wednesday when they trip to Kpando.
Heart of Lions have played Dreams FC once at home in the league since the Kpando lads gained promotion back into the Premier League last season with the game ending in a 1-0 victory for Heart of Lions.
Nations FC vs Aduana FC
Nations FC entertain Aduana FC at the DR. Kwame Kyei Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Nations FC’s form has been up and down, with two wins and three defeats in their last five league matches. Such inconsistency is hampering their chances of securing a place in the top four. They are 5th in the league table with 35 points, having scored the joint most goals (24) and conceded the third joint least goals (13). Kassim Mingle Ocansey’s men head into the game as the seventh weakest home performers in the league this season.
Aduana FC produced spirited performance to defeat Gold Stars FC (2-0) in their previous league fixture to continue their February-March impressive form (W2, D1) as they are yet to concede a goal in the league since February. They are currently 11th in the table with 25 points, having scored 16 and conceded 17. The Fire Club are among the top ten best away performers in the league this season, they will be eager to record victory away from home for the second time on Wednesday.
Nations FC have played Aduana FC once at home in the league since the Abrankese lads gained promotion into the top-flight last season with the game ending in a 2-1 victory for Nations FC.
Legon Cities vs Vision FC
Struggling Legon Cities welcome newly promoted side Vision FC to the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on Wednesday in the Premier League.
Ending a two-game losing run with a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Berekum Chelsea, Legon Cities are now seeking consecutive league victories for the first time since January as they continue to vie to exit the drop zone.
The Royals are 16th in the league table with 20 points, having won 3 and suffered two defeats in the last five outings. They’ve scored 16 and conceded the most goals in the league this season (29). Cities have won their last three consecutive home fixtures ahead of the clash and are the ninth-best home performers.
Vision FC fell to their third defeat in their last five league matches last Sunday (W1, D1, L3), going down 2-0 at away to Bechem United and are just three points away from the bottom three in the table. They’ve amassed 23 points in 21 matches, having scored 16 and conceded second joint most goals (24).
The Tema-based is the fifth weakest away side (D2, L3) and will aim for a favourable result on Wednesday.
Legon Cities are playing Vision FC at home in the league for the first time since the Tema base gained promotion into the Premier League this season.
Sports
Aduana Stars to benefit from ‘Nsoatreman largesse’
It will be the turn of Aduana Stars to benefit from the three points and three goals without kicking a ball as the Ghana Premier League reaches match day 28 on Sunday.
The Dormaa side are scheduled to play as host to Nsoatreman FC which pulled out of the competition for security reasons, following their involvement in crowd violence when they played Asante Kotoko.
After the decision that forced the FA to enforce its rules, clubs that were yet to play them have enjoyed three points and three goals without kicking the ball.
For the Dormaa side, the gift of match day 28 would go a long way to boost their chances of climbing the table to contest for some of the top of the table slots.
The story would, however, be different for the others including Asante Kotoko who would be engaged in a difficult clash against Nations FC at the Dr Kwame Kyei Stadium.
Kotoko are beginning to feel the pressure that comes from occupying the top position as clubs attempt to dethrone them week in week out.
They have drawn in their last two games against Heart of Lions and Bechem United. The game with Nations FC would be equally tough and would need their men to be in good shape to survive a third scare.
Dreams FC’s inconsistent form would continue at the Tuba Astro Turf where they lock horns with Vision FC just as Holy Stars look set to deepen the woes of Legon Cities in their game at the C.A.M Park in Ainyinase.
Hearts of Oak would have to show character to secure all three points against Karela United at the Accra Sports Stadium while Goldstars and Medeama SC slug it out at the Bibiani DUN’s Park.
The Kpando Stadium would host the battle of the Lions as host, Heart of Lions, oblige relegation threatened Accra Lions in a potentially explosive encounter.
At the Wenchi Stadium, Young Apostles will face Samartex FC while Bechem United host Berekum Chelsea at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park.
Sports
Ayekoo, Police Ladies
Participation of Ghana’s security services in sports is seen more as a recreation or a creation for officers to be actively involved in play or physical exercise.
This reflects their absence on the honours boards of some of the major sports events, especially football.
But it is not so with other sports like athletics, boxing, handball, volleyball, basketball, mass sports and many others.
In these sports, they are dominated by players or athletes from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), comprising the Army, Air Force and Navy, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Revenue Authority, previously referred to as the Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS).
Fact is, they have been credited with some of the major honours achieved in sports as a nation.
For instance, the Prisons service’s role in the career of the boxing professor, Azumah Nelson, has always been recognised as he started his career affiliated to the service.
GRA was considered a household name in the active days of basketball with years of dominance by the Brave’s team that stretched their dominance across Africa.
In volleyball and handball, Police, Fire and Prisons have created tensed and thrilling atmospheres that attracted hundreds of fans to the Prisons Sports Courts in Cantonment.
The Armed Forces have been strong in boxing and the marathons.
What is, however, making the services shy away from the honours list in football may perhaps be the belief that they may be in a disadvantaged position to keep pace with the professional clubs.
For the professionals, they eat and drink the game, but athletes or players with the services would have other duties to perform the moment they leave the field or their respective training venues.
Secondly, their conditions of service would not allow them to ‘poach’ or sign on players at exorbitant amounts. This means the services would find it difficult to attract good footballers to compete with the likes of Hearts’, Kotokos, Great Olympics and others.
However, the Police Ladies football team rendered this analogy gibberish over the weekend with a historic triumph in the Southern Zone of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
After an 18-week run, the Police Ladies team that has campaigned under the shadows of top women club sides in the competition emerged from those dark shades, setting an enviable record other sister agencies would target to emulate.
The women in blue-and-white were crowned Southern Zone of the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League champions, unseating the regular winners, Hasaacas Ladies.
It was a hard-fought victory for the police women and the joy that greeted the final whistle was incredible as they cartwheeled in unending joy to mark a feat never achieved in their history.
That was understandable because it came over Hasaacas Ladies, an experienced side that made marks in their maiden participation in the CAF Women’s Champions League competition.
However, going into the final game with 36 points, same as their opponents Hasaacas Ladies, the scale tilted in favour of Hasaacas Ladies.
But while the police women managed a 2-0 victory over FC Epiphany Warriors at the Adjiriganor Astro Turf in Accra, Hasaacas Ladies dropped two vital points after being held to a 1-1 draw encounter against Jonina Ladies.
Police Ladies, thus, finished the season with 11 wins, six draws, and one defeat, accruing 39 points would now face Northern Zonal Champions, Ampem Darkoa, in the playoff finale in May.
In congratulating Police Ladies, one would wish to present the feat as a challenge to the other security agencies to begin to focus on the business aspect of sports.
In some part of Africa, police teams feature regularly in their male elite leagues just as it remain a common feature in the francophone regions where Douanes (Customs teams) feature in their elite competition.
Sadly in Ghana, no team, as of now, from any of the security agencies have come close to even the national Division One League (DOL), indicating a very low desire to recruit very good players to make them competitive.
But reaching the very top in sports is not something beyond them. The feat by Police Ladies clearly shows that when the recruits are groomed well, they can become top professionals and compete at the highest level.
Maybe in their future recruitment, they can place special emphasis on signing people with special talents to give them competitive advantage. That will also put their players who are not staff of the service the chance to be considered.
As we wait to hear when any of the security agencies would sell their first player, we say a big ‘ayekoo’ to the Police Ladies team for doing a yeoman’s job.
By Andrew Nortey
