Asante Kotoko will be hoping to continue their resurgence at the Akoon Park today in Tarkwa as they tackle Karela United in a Week 13 Ghana Premier League (GPL) game.
On a day when thousands of Ghanaians will be marking the independence celebration of the nation, Legon Cities will also welcome West African Football Academy (WAFA) in a potentially exciting fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Kotoko Coach Maxwell Konadu has watched some of the pressure wean off after he silenced Bechem United 3-1 in his side’s first home game at their adoptive home grounds at the Accra Stadium, following a run of poor performances preceding the Week 12 fixture.
Despite their topsy-turvy start to the season, Kotoko’s performance on the road has been impressive as they have won three games, drawn one and lost two of six games away from the Baba Yara stadium and this has resulted in them amassing a total of 10 points on the road, placing them second behind Berekum Chelsea as the best performing away team.
Once a dreaded force at home, Karela have watched that invincibility dissipate, enduring a rocky season where they have won two games at the Akoon Park, drawn three and lost one since relocating to the Tarkwa venue away from their favourite CAM Park in Anyinase.
Unlike in 2018 when the Nzema side boosted a well-drilled outfit that instilled fear in opponents , the team have been hit hard with mass exodus of their influential stars and this has left them clutching for straws on the league log where they lie just above bottom-placed King Faisal.
Kotoko’s last visit to away game against the ‘Pride & Passion’ boys was a debacle where they suffered a 3-1 loss; surprisingly all three goal scorers for Karela – Maxwell Baakoh, Abdul Ganiyu and Ibrahim Moro, have switched camp to the Porcupine fold and will be available to face their old side.
They will come up against former teammate, Diawiase Taylor who, even though has watched a number of his colleagues throng out of the club, stayed and evolved into the pivot around whom this Karela side functions.
Fans that will besiege the Akoon Park this holiday afternoon will be hoping for a replay of the two sides’ exhilarating Normalisation Committee (NC) Cup final that saw Kotoko clinch a 5-2 penalty victory after they played 1-1 in regulation time.
At the Accra Stadium, Legon Cities will be hoping to make amends for their disappointing 0-0 draw against Eleven Wonders at the same venue on match week 12 when they confront WAFA in another home tie tonight.
Cities left their handful but vociferous fan base dejected when they failed to crack Wonders open, despite creating a number of decent chances.
Coming up against a WAFA side that has rediscovered its appetite for goals – annihilating AshantiGold 6-1 in Sogakope and ranked the third best performing away team with no loss on the road (two wins, four draws), Cities coach Goran Barjaktarevic and his boys must be clinical tonight.
They must be conscious of the fact that this marauding WAFA side comprising the lethal Richard Danso, Andrews Ntim, Captain Ibrahim Abukari and HarunaJalilu would not let missed opportunities from Cities go unpunished.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
