Ghana: Kotoko, Lions to Thrill Fans in FA Quarter-Final Clash

David Tagoe

25 May 2011

With the Premier League title having slipped through their fingers, following a stuttering start to the season that saw them languishing at the bottom rungs of the league at a point in time, all that the one-time monarchs of Ghana football, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, can now do is to limit their expectations to winning the FA Cup.

Kotoko is three hurdles away from getting into the final of the FA Cup, but between them and the realisation of that goal is the first hurdle in the form of Kpando Hearts of Lions. Both teams will be locking horns in a quarterfinal duel at the Baba Yara Stadium later this evening.

Matches between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Kpando Heart of Lions have always being a delight to watch. Their recent league match at the Kpando Park is the most recent of such matches, and without a doubt, anytime the two clubs meet, fireworks are not in short supply.

In a pre-match hype, the CEO of Lions, Frimpong Manso derided Asante Kotoko as an ordinary side with a big name.

Hear him, “Kumasi Asante Kotoko has a big name, but their players are ordinary”, he said.

And this is what has given the Lions’ CEO reason to suggest that Heart of Lions would be bundling Asante Kotoko out of the FA Cup to ensure that they end the season without a trophy.

Its been nine years since the FA Cup was played in Ghana, and that last time in reference, it was Asante Kotoko who managed to snatch the trophy from King Faisal, courtesy, a late Anas Mohammed goal.

Both teams come into today’s match with contrasting fortunes in their last league matches. While Kotoko lost 0-2 to lower ranked Mighty Jets, casting a rather negative shadow on them.

Kpando Heart of Lions had to rely on a late Gilbert Fiamenyo expertly effected penalty kick to snatch the three points at stake, in their game against Cape Coast Dwarfs.

In fact, some Kotoko fans have not taken their team’s defeat lying down, and that is enough caution to the Porcupine Warriors not to drop their guard against the roaring Lions from Kpando, who see any clash with Kotoko as an opportunity to make history by beating them, regardless of the setting for the match.

In the other quarterfinal clash for the day, D’International who missed out on qualification to the premiership last Sunday will come face-to-face with fellow Division One campaigners, Nania F/C at the Tema Park.

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