Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Real
Tamale United (RTU) seem to have put their troubled first round
showings behind them after recording crucial wins away from
home.
Kotoko’s 2-0 win in Wa against All Stars marks a good start to
the second round; a turn around that their expectant followers will
hope becomes permanent. The brace from recruit Nathaniel
Asamoah who played against his former club makes the victory
much more interesting.
The “Porcupine Warriors” has moved significantly from the
bottom half on the log to mid-table and if this is the result of
recruiting over ten players and starting seven of them in their first
game, then Kotoko could look back and say they got it right.
RTU’s lone goal win in Accra over Accra Hearts of Oak, their
first since joining the elite division 32 years ago, might not have
been enough to lift them out of the relegation zone but to say it will
certainly pep up their confidence is an understatement.
The victory, a double for the ‘Pride of the North’ who
hammered the Phobians 2-1 in the last game of first round also
brought to the fore RTU’s determination to rewrite history and get
their sorry campaign back on course.
Hearts laboured to fare any better than the side that played in
the first round despite the inclusion of Mahatma Otoo and Kamil
Osman, who returned from Tunisia and Denmark respectively after
unsuccessful stints.
The loss will push the Phobians off the pace but in the midst of
the blame game, the analysis and postmortem of their
performance, one soul whose fate hangs on a thread is head
Coach Paa Kwasi Fabian.
Pressure on the former Asante Kotoko and Heart of Lions
coach, a nutritionist will grow as his competence and capabilities
come into question. Obviously, Fabian will need to get the team to
hit their strides soon enough or consider jumping before he gets
the push.
A point off Ebusua Dwarfs in Cape Coast was considered a
good enough result for troubled Dansoman Liberty Professionals
whose campaign has travelled from poor to worse this season.
The engagement of Coach J. E. Sarpong seems to have paid off
sooner than thought and in the ensuing days, how the tough talking
coach will manage to blend the wealth of talent at his disposal to
build a winsome team remains interesting.
Ashgold stumbled away to B.A. Stars playing in their new
‘home’, Essipong near Sekondi in the Western Region. The lone
goal victory was however not enough to lift the Sunyani based
team from the foot of the table but at least it gives them a breather
that could be built on in their quest to avoid relegation.
At the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Medeama FC scored
twice to pick a point off King Faisal whiles Chelsea opened a
seven-point gab at the apex of the summit by beating struggling
debutants, Tudu Might Jets 2-1 at the Golden City Park, Berekum.
Defending Champions, Aduana Stars kept their impressive
home record intact with a 2-1 win over Berekum Arsenals whilst
New Edubiase United kept the chase on leaders Chelsea by beating
visiting Kpando Heart of Lions by the game score line.