Newly-promoted Ghana Premier League (GPL) side, Accra Lions shocked Accra Hearts of Oak with a 3-2 win in a friendly match played at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday.
The game forms part of Hearts’ preparations for Sunday’s CAF Champions League first round preliminary encounter with Guinea side Cl Kamsar.
The Lions made a huge statement of intent ahead of the league season with some composed and polished football to walk away with a win at the expense of the Premier League champions.
Hearts came back from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead at half time courtesy goals from Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Isaac Mensah after Oliver Amedor gave Accra Lions the lead in the 10th minute.
Hearts hoped to hold on to the lead in the second half to eventually clinch to put their fans in a positive mood ahead of Sunday’s game but lost the tie in the dying minutes when the Accra Lions ‘roared’ to pull two late goals.
Their resilience paid off when Fawzan Dandawa’s perfect cross found Shawkan Mohammed who controlled the ball beautifully ahead of Raddy Ovouka in the Phobian’sgoal area and placed it behind Richard Attah for the equalizer in the 87th minute.
Accra Lions then stamped their authority on the game search of the winner while the host sat back in an attempt to share the spoils with Emmanuel Nettey and Salifu Ibrahim joining the defence.
Lions kept the pressure on Hearts’ defence and managed to break through in the 90th minute with Raul Salifu’s strike in the goal area to give his side a deserved win over Hearts.
It was, however, a great exercise for both teams that tested their strength for the respective challenges they face in the coming season; providing the Lions especially a taste of what to expect in the top flight.
The Lions also tried their new signings, including Nigerian striker, Evans Eenee who had his first competitive game with the club as well as other players including AbassSamari, ShawkanHunalf and Kwadwo Junior Kyeremanteng.
BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE
