PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: Hearts of Oak vs Asante Kotoko
by Communication Department
Defending Ghana Premier League Champions, Asante Kotoko will travel to the capital to take on our bitterest rivals, Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League Week 20 fixture.
The game dubbed the ‘Super Clash’ comes with an extra package – the President Cup and GHS 50,000 cash reward. The Ghana Premier League week 20 fixture as announced will double as the President's Cup Match, which is organized yearly by the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) to honour the President of the Republic as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
It is expected to be a keenly contested match with a lot of dignitaries including President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, in attendance.
The Porcupine lads are well motivated for this epic duel as Coach Zerbo and the boys seek to improve upon their performance on the road while also keeping the heat on league leaders Aduana Stars in the battle for the league title.
The media spotlight and discussions on the match appear heightened following the issues in the camp of the Phobians after some disgruntled fans restrained their coach, Slavco Matic from coaching duties yesterday, a move some have alleged has the tacit endorsement of some key officials of the club.
But some soccer analysts and enthusiasts have cautioned Kotoko to be wary of such controversies just prior to encounters with the Phobians, who sometimes seem to thrive on self-inflicted disharmony by creating an unguarded sense of complacency in opposing teams. Former Kotoko striker Eric Bekoe has sounded a note of caution describing Hearts as dangerous in such circumstances.
That notwithstanding, the fabulous lads seem to be rediscovering their rhythm after the composed and controlled performance in our victory against Bechem United last Wednesday. Tactically, Kotoko has shown much more organization than the Phobians throughout the season but matches between the two clubs are usually fired by passion, concentration and mental strength.
The Phobians have struggled this season and obviously in the technical area, they are facing challenges as their Serbian coach is yet to fully appreciate the demands of the local league. As usual, it is expected that the Phobians will resort to mind games just before the match as they may seek to disorient the young Kotoko team and take off in a flying manner.
Yet, Kotoko has the capacity to neutralize any such strategy, and in addition to the tactical acumen of Coach Zerbo, the team will have to demonstrate mental fortitude and good concentration for the entire duration of the match. Coming on the heels of the victory over the then second-placed Bechem United, the boys have their confidence already buoyed up, and in Accra, Kotoko also has a huge support base that on a good day can turn up vociferously for our boys.
Our opponents are 6th on the league log but with only three points difference, and history of the Super Clash tells us the side with enough preparation and concentration mostly carries the day; thus, coach Zerbo and his boys will obviously approach the game with the right mentality.
The first leg ended 1-1, after controversial errors on the part of the officiating officials denied us what would have been our first win of the season.
Tomorrow’s match is expected to be tough, but we hope to be the better side and win the maximum points in addition to the 2023 President Cup.
WHEN & WHERE?
Date: 5th March 2023
Time: 3:00pm
Venue: Accra Sports Stadium.
TEAM NEWS
Yusif Mubarik has returned to training but the game has come too early for him.
Maxwell Agyemang, Rashid Nortey and Isaac Oppong are still on the injury list.
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