All attention will be turn to the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday when the two most glamorous clubs in Ghana come up against each other in the semifinal of the Tier One League of the NC Special Competition.
Accra Hearts of Oak will welcome their bitterest rivals Asante Kotoko at the capital in what will be a cliffhanger encounter.
Apart from a final place these two clubs will be fighting for, there is also an advantage of qualifying for the CAF Champions League by clinching the league.
FootballMadeInGhana’s Abdul Wadudu Osman takes a look at the four things that are likely to decide the game on Sunday.
1- Felix Annan’s absence – Whether you like it or not by Fatau Safiu and Felix Annan have been the best Asante Kotoko players in the Special Competition. And Felix’s absence will affect C K Akonnor’s side on Sunday.
Felix kept an impressive seven clean sheets in the group stages and played an important role to the team’s qualification to the semi-finals. With national team duty keeping him off the game. C K Akonnor will have to find a perfect replacement for him.
19-year old Ibrahim Danlad and Muntari Tagoe haven’t been convincing whenever they are given the nod.
Whoever gets the nod on Sunday will have to perform above himself to stop the flowing Hearts of Oak attack.
2- Combination of Safiu Fatau and Songne Yacouba – The combination of the duo has been nothing but excellent. The two have been involved in 29 goals in 38 matches since they started playing together.
Their partnership on Sunday would be key if the Porcupine Warriors can win the game.
Yacouba has been struggling with injuries and will face a late fitness test to prove his readiness before the game on Sunday.
Fresh from national team camp, Fatau Safiu will be extra motivated to prove a point after been axed from the Black Stars.
The duo plus Emmanuel Gyamfi will be decisive if the Porcupine Warriors should beat the Phobians.
3- Home advantage for Hearts of Oak – Playing at home gives the Phobians a good advantage going to the game. Kim Grant made it clear before the start of the season that he wants to make the Accra Sports Stadium a fortress for visiting teams. Lo and behold Hearts of Oak are yet to taste a defeat at home in the Tier One League. They have drawn only one against Liberty and won six in the seven games they have played at home. Scoring 13 and allowing only 2 in their net.
It will be interesting to see how Asante Kotoko will find a way.
Kotoko on the hand have not been impressive on the road, winning only one in six away games.
Will the Phobians continue their fine home form or the Porcupine Warriors will stop them?
4- Kim Grant vrs C K Akonnor – ” CK Akonnor knows me very well, and I also know him very well’ Kim Grant was quoted in Graphic Sports last Monday 10th June 2019.
The outcome of the game will depend largely on these two coaches.
Hearts of Oak’s performance in the Tier One League has been credited to the good work by the former Elmina Sharks manager. Kim has been able to transform the team from an average team to a good team. Facing Hearts of Oak now is very difficult because of how Kim Grant has set up his team.
The combination of experienced players such as Chris Bonney, Fatawu Mohammed and Joseph Esso mix with young players like Manaf Umar, Benjamin Afutu and Michelle Sarpong makes the team more complete. The players look hungrier and determined than ever to write their names in the folklore of the club.
Kim Grant has used 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 in most of the games since he took over the club. It will be interesting to see how he will approach arguably the biggest game since his appointment as Hearts trainer.
C K Akonnor took Asante Kotoko to the group stage of the CAF Confederation four months ago, but he knows Sunday’s game is the biggest game since he joined Kotoko.
The Porcupine Warriors’ exploits in the CAF Confederation Cup has left good memories to the fans of the club and all what they are craving for is another opportunity to give it another try. They may get that chance but only if they can overcome their bitterest rivals on Sunday.
Compared to Kim Grant, C K Akonnor has suffered a lot since their exit from the Confederation Cup. He lost two of his key players (Richard Senanu and Maxwell Baakoh) due to long term injuries whilst his top marksman Songne Yacouba has been struggling to stay fit for sometime now.
With all these, C K Akonnor has bustled and maneuvered his way by taking the team all the way to the semi-finals of both the Tier One and Teir Two Leagues.
The coach has used different kind of players since the start of the competition and it will be interesting to see who gets the nod in arguably the biggest game since he took over the coaching mantle of the club.
Will CK Akonnor use Agyemang Badu in midfield as he has done in most of the games in the competition, or Habib Mohammed will be preferred to anchor the holding role?
Will C K keep faith in Kwame Boahene or the return of Fatau will send the former Medeama winger back to the periphery?
Sunday will decide.
By: Abdul Wadudu Osman