Kumasi Asante Kotoko will storm the Accra Sports Stadium today as guests of Legon Cities FC (formerly Wa All Stars) in a dicey second week encounter of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League (GPL).
Apart from the fireworks expected on the field of play, the entertainment angle introduced by the home team, which will see Ghana’s Dancehall king, Shatta Wale (Charles Nii Armah Mensah) in attendance, appears to have fired fans up for the clash.
Shatta Wale is expected to stage a 10 minutes performance at half time – a period where he will entertain the fans with some of his hit songs.
But the focus will surely be on action on the pitch as both teams attempt to create early impressions for the season.
Kotoko started on a good note despite laboring to a 1-0 victory over Eleven Wonders on first day at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
That feat came on the back of a 2-1 victory over fierce arch rivals, Hearts of Oak in the second leg President Cup match at the same venue.
The ‘Legonites’, however, threw away a two-goal advantage when Liberty staged an inspiring second half show to equalize in their clash at the Dansoman Park.
At the Accra Stadium, Kotoko will be expected to have the upper hand because they are likely to enjoy a huge support from the Porcupine fans that reside in the capital but that can just not transform into victory.
They will have to fight hard and improve upon the performance against Eleven Wonders but it will be suicidal for the Asanteman side to underestimate the Royals who are bent on making an impact under the new management.
In the Wa All Stars era, the Royals have always presented a tough opposition for the Porcupine Warriors irrespective of the venue, pulling off some magnificent victories from performances they would want to replicate.
Despite the draw with Liberty Professionals, they showed glimpses of a team that was ready to battle it out with the big guns for a spot in Africa club competition with Jeffrey Degorl as the king pin of the side.
But Kotoko with their group of classy players are huge favourites having enjoyed the lion’s share of wins in matches involving the two sides.
Led by skipper Felix Annan and others like Augustine Okrah, Moro Ibrahim, Justice Blay, Naby Keita, Emmanuel Gyamfi and Richard Arthur to be in attendance, Kotoko on a good day could break the Royals into pieces but a huge motivation to record a giant-killing feat could spur them all to cause an upset.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
