The penultimate matches for the first round of the Ghana Premier League will be honoured on Wednesday and Thursday with Kotoko playing guests to Wa All Stars on Wednesday.
The Wa Park will welcome the Porcupines who have reignited their spark since the separation of David Duncan from the team. The side have secured six wins out of seven league matches with the only loss coming at home to bogey side New Edubiase at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The home side led by Kwame Adepa need to pick up from their recent lapses that has seen them drop to fourth on the standings though the season started brightly with impressive results – notable amongst them is the 3-1 victory over current league leaders Hearts of Oak in Accra.
The Ghana FA President’s lads who are coming from a goalless stalemate at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium over the weekend with AshantiGold will need to exhaust their opponents enough to get the needed results that can move them up the rungs of the ladder once again.
The two sides are bolstered by their impressive goalkeepers who have been brilliant with their reflexes. Goalkeeper Ofori Richard of Wa All Stars and the Local Black Stars, has proven his might as the safest pair of hands for the Upper West club and the game against AshantiGold tells why his national call-ups are no chance occurrence.
Ernest Sowah since assuming the position in the post after the third game due to injuries to Ofori Antwi and Felix Annan has gone eight matches without conceding in his season’s total of 11. These two goalkeepers are expected to repeat their superb forms should their teams be victors on Wednesday afternoon.
Both sides will have their squads reinforced by the return of the Black Satellites players who were on national assignment in Ethiopia, losing 2-1. All Stars will welcome Issahaku Konda and Armando Mohammed into their setup.
Interim Kotoko Coach will be glad having his leading goal scorer Dauda Mohammed into his side who was absent upfront in the 1-0 win over Inter Allies on Sunday at the Baba Yara Stadium. Kotoko would however miss Obed Owusu and Kwame Boateng who are also nursing injuries. Coach Micky, as he is affectionately called pondered over his attacking department and revealed ongoing reinforcement attempts by the club to beef up goal scoring.
“Definitely, we have to strengthen the striking department because we are facing a problem which we all saw today. Dauda was not available, Obed has a knock and Elvis Amoh is also not 100% fit which shows it is a department we have to strengthen. Before the end of next week, we hope to land one or more strikers,” he said to LUV FM’s Kofi Asare after Sunday’s victory.
Kotoko will look to usurp the Phobians at the table’s summit with a win though their bitterest rivals will be welcoming Liberty Professionals to the Accra Sports Stadium where they will play with no supporters and spectators present on Thursday. They are on an impressive away run over last three matches, won with clean sheets and and their record of just a loss out of eight attempts in Wa indicates Kotoko are favorites to gain all three points.
Wa All Stars will look at overturning their bad results against the 23-time league champions with at least recording a second victory in eight games against Kotoko. Their home defensive solidity of just a goal conceded in six games should be able to blunt the less effective attack of Kotoko.
A win for Kotoko puts them on top of the standings but currently lie third with 23 points, just two points adrift Hearts of Oak. All Stars lie fourth with 22 points.
Game kicks off on Wednesday at 3:00pm local time at the Wa Stadium.
GPL Day 14 – Wednesday
Wa All Stars vs Kotoko
Ebusua Dwarfs vs Aduana
Techiman City vs AshGold
Bechem Utd vs Hasaacas
Inter Allies vs Chelsea
Medeama vs WAFA SC
– Thursday
Edubiase vs Dreams FC
Hearts vs Liberty
