Kumasi, Jan. 17, - Accra
Hearts of Oak S/C beat archrivals, Asante Kotoko S/C, 4-2 on penalties to
advance to the grand finale of the GHALCA ‘G8’ tournament at the Baba Yara
Sports Stadium, Kumasi, on Wednesday.
The match in itself ended 0-0 in
regulation time and the Phobians went ahead to overcome the Porcupine Warriors
with Chris Bonney, Francis Morton, Patrick Razak and Malik Akowuah getting on
the scoring sheet for the former, while Baba Mahama and Awudu Nafiu scored for
Kotoko.
As expected and very
characteristic of clashes between the two sides, the match started with
determination written all over the faces of the competing players, but it was
Hearts who enjoyed the better part of the early exchanges.
The Phobians, drawing inspiration
from their vociferous and die-hard supporters were the first to launch an
onslaught for an early goal and Robert Addo, as well as Morton wasted some
decent chances that came their way in the fifth minute and seventh minutes
respectively.
Kotoko unable to soak the
incessant pressure resorted to a more aggressive approach to the game.
This nearly cost them in the 18th
minute as Agustine Sefah committed a serious defensive blunder, allowing
Hearts’ Cosmos Dauda to be gifted with a loose ball, however, he shot wide
across the face of the goalpost.
The Porcupine Warriors came back
strongly into the game in the last quarter of the first half and made
occasional counter-attacks to surprise their opponents.
In the process, Kwame Boahen and
speedster Emmanuel Gyamfi, came up with two well-rehearsed defense-splitting
moves and on the two occasions, goalie Ben Mensah proved equal to the task as
he prevented Kotoko from scoring.
After the recess, both teams
threaded cautiously and the game became more concentrated in the midfield where
the likes of Samudeen Ibrahim and Daniel Kodie, featuring for the Phobians,
squared off fiercely against Jackson Owusu and Jordan Opoku.
The match ended barren with the
two combatants each determined not to allow the ball to enter the net.
GNA
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