Winless Hearts of Oak are in Kumasi to play guest to rivals Asante Kotoko in Matchday 3 of the Ghana Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The historic Baba Yara Sports Stadium will host the clash for the 49th time and pressure is on both sides to win back the love and trust of their fans.
Seydou Zerbo has come under intense pressure following the elimination of the Porcupine Warriors from the CAF Champions League after losing on penalties to Burkina Faso side RC Kadiogo.
Meanwhile, his counterpart Samuel Boadu has failed to lead Hearts of Oak to a win in his last 7 league attempts.
KICK-OFF TIME: 15:00 GMT
VENUE: Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi
CHANNEL: STARTIMES ADEPA CHANNEL
RECOMMENDED RADIO CHANNELS: Peace FM & Asempa FM
TEAM NEWS
Both teams are missing key players in their squads ahead of the fixture.
Deadly forward Daniel Afriyie Barnieh is away on international duty and will not be available for the Kumasi. He is not the only player Hearts of Oak will be missing for the game. Midfielder Abdul Aziz Nurudeen is currently in South Africa to undergo surgery. Due Linda Don Mtange and Prince Kwesi Darmang won’t play because of paperwork. Defender Caleb Amankwah is available for selection after serving a one-game ban.
Georges Mfegue Omgba is unfit for the game while Franck Etouga Mbella has left the club to join Egyptian side El Masry. Aside from the two, every player is available for selection.
Probable XIs.
Asante Kotoko: Danlad Ibrahim – Augustine Agyapong, Yussif Mubarik, Sherif Mohammed, John Tedeku – Richard Boadu, Enoch Morrison, Isaac Oppong, Samuel Boateng, Stephen Mukwala, Solomon Sarfo-Taylor
Hearts of Oak: Eric Ofori-Antwi – Dennis Korsah, Samuel Inkoom, Konadu Yiadom, Mohammed Alhassan – Gladson Awako, Eric Esso, Suraj Seidu, Kwadwo Obeng Junior, Junior Kaaba, Yassan Ouatching.
Form Guides
- Kotoko’s last 5 games in the Ghana Premier League – W3 D2 L0 – Scored 13 goals and conceded 4 goals
- Kotoko have not lost a league game since May 2022.
- Hearts of Oak’s last 7 games in the Ghana Premier League – W0, D2, L5 – Scored 5 goals and conceded 13 goals
PREDICTION
Kotoko 1-1 Hearts of Oak
OPTA STATS
Head to Head between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak
- League meetings between the two sides – 110 – exclude truncated seasons (3)
- Kotoko wins – 36
- Hearts of Oak – 36
- Draws – 38
- Kotoko as the home team – 53 times – W19, L18, D16
- Kotoko playing at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium – 48 times – W18, L16, D14
- Meetings since the start of the Ghana Premier League – 1993/94 season
- Games – 49
- Kotoko wins – 11 and scored 42 goals
- Hearts of Oak wins – 17 and scored 51 goals
- Draws – 21
Kotoko playing as the home team since the start of the Ghana Premier League in the 1993/94 season
- Number of Games – 24
- Kotoko wins – 6 and scored 24 goals
- Hearts of Oak wins – 7 and scored 22 goals
- Draws – 11
Last two league meetings between Kotoko and Hearts of Oak in the month of September
- 16th September 2001 – Matchday 19 clash – Kotoko won 2-0 against Hearts of Oak
- 22nd September 2013 – Matchday 2clash – Kotoko won 1-0 against Hearts of Oak
- Hearts of Oak have not scored against Kotoko in their last two league meetings in the month of September.
Kotoko matches played on the 25th of September since 1999
- 25th September 2002 – Kotoko 2-0 Bofoakwa Tano
- 25th September 2003 – Kotoko 3-0 Heart of Lions
- Kotoko have not conceded a goal in matches played on the 25th of September since 1999
Hearts of Oak matches played on the 25th of September since 1999
- 25th September 2002 – Hearts of Oak 2-0 Sekondi Hasaacas
- Hearts of Oak have not conceded a goal in matches played on the 25th of September since 1999
Kotoko Matchday 3 Home Games since 1999
- Number of Games – 11
- Kotoko victories – 8
- Draws – 2
- Losses – 1 – against Great Olympics in 2021 (1-0)
- Kotoko have scored 17 goals and conceded 6
- Kotoko have never lost a Matchday 3 Games at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium within the period.
Hearts of Oak Matchday 3 AWAY Games since 1999
- Number of Games – 11
- Hearts of Oak wins – 5
- Draws – 3
- Losses – 3
- Hearts of Oak have scored 14 goals and conceded 10
The last time Kotoko lost a Matchday 3 GAME at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium
- June 1984 – Kotoko 0-1 Hearts of Oak – Sam Yeboah’s 85th-minute scissor kick goal
- Since then, Kotoko have not lost a Matchday 3 game at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium 38 years ago.
Records Asante Kotoko (HOME TEAM) vs Hearts of Oak in FIFA World Cup Years since 1990
- Number of Games – 9
- Kotoko wins – 1
- Hearts of Oak wins – 4
- Draws – 4
- 1990 – Kotoko 1-2 Hearts of Oak
- 1994 – Kotoko 0-0 Hearts of Oak
- 1998 – Kotoko 2-2 Hearts of Oak
- 2002 – Kotoko 1-1 Hearts of Oak
- 2006 – Kotoko 0-1 Hearts of Oak
- 2010 – Kotoko 0-1 Hearts of Oak
- 2014 – Kotoko 0-0 Hearts of Oak
- 2018 – Kotoko 0-1 Hearts of Oak
- 2022 – Kotoko 1-0 Hearts of Oak
Since Sunday, 8th December 1985, neither Kotoko nor Hearts of Oak have lost in their encounters when that scores the first goal.
Outcomes of Hearts of Oak games against Kotoko immediately after playing against Great Olympics since 1999
- 2009/10 – Matchday 21 – Hearts of Oak 1-0 Olympics – Samuel Afum – scorer * 14th March 2010, Kotoko 0-1 Hearts of Oak – Samuel Afum scorer.
- 2022/23 – Matchday 2 – Hearts of Oak 1-1 Olympics *25th September 2022 – Kotoko vs Hearts?
- Akwasi Amofah was the first player to score a goal in the league meetings between Kotoko and Hearts of Oak. He netted in the 20th minute.
- On the other hand, Ofei Doodo was the first player to score a league goal for Hearts of Oak against Kotoko. Doodo scored in the 22nd minute. It happened in the 1958 season.
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Source: Sports