The Ghana Premier League enters match day 4 with seven league games across the country this weekend.
Medeama’s involvement in Africa means their opponents Ebusua Dwarfs will have to wait a couple more days before they will have a chance to score their first goal in this season’s campaign. Kotoko and Aduana will be hoping to add sparks to their dimming seasons, while Hearts of Oak and Dreams FC will hope home advantage can do the trick again. Here, Footy-Ghana’s Fentuo Tahiru brings you what to expect from the games as well as predictions in our weekly GPL Predictions corner.
Match: Dreams FC Vs Wa All Stars
Venue: Dawu Park, Dawu
Kick-off: 3:15pm, Saturday
There is no better way to kick start this weekend’s round of matches in the Ghana premier league than with this top of the table clash between impressive new boys Dreams FC and clean sheet kings Wa All Stars. These two sides are meeting for the first time in the Ghana premier league are have both had impressive starts to this season with two victories and a draw apiece.
There’s not so much to choose between the two sides to be honest. But watching Dreams FC torment Inter Allies in Tema, it’s fair to say they were unlucky not to win the game. Wa All Stars on the other hand, labored to a 0-0 draw at home to Liberty Professionals in their last game but are yet to concede a goal this term. There’s all to play for in this tie, more especially because whichever team wins, is guaranteed to stay top of the table at least for this weekend. Dreams have not lost a game at home since August 2015 and should come through with a narrow victory.
Prediction: Dreams 1-0 Wa All Stars
Match: New Edubiase Vs Inter Allies
Venue: Len Clay Stadium, Obuasi
Kick-off: 3pm
I have to be frank and say I was a bit surprised that Inter Allies got beaten by Liberty Professionals in their last away encounter. To be fair to Herbert Addo’s charges, they were missing a number of key players in that game. Edubiase on the hand, have started on a not so good note with one victory from their opening three games. This was to be expected nonetheless. Edubiase are likely to be fighting relegation all season and the key to surviving that battle is winning as many home matches as possible. When they hosted Inter Allies last season, it ended in a pulsating 2-2 draw. With relatively unknown players like Zuberu Fuseini, who scored the only goal against Dwarfs, Christopher Agbashie, Malik Tahiru and Godfed Asiamah, it’s tough to see Edubiase overcoming Inter Allies on Sunday. Allies themselves will be missing the impressive Lord Ofusuhene through suspension, but should still have enough quality to get something out of this game.
Prediction: Edubiase FC 0-1 Inter Allies
Match: Hearts of Oak Vs Bechem United
Venue: Accra Sports Stadium, Accra
Kick-off: 3:15pm
Coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi’s Hearts of Oak have won several admirers following their impressive start to the season. The Japanese trainer’s insistence on fitness in particular, was perhaps the reason they walked away from Tarkwa with that vital 2-0 victory over Medeama. The “sushi” boys’ stealth defending has ensured they have kept 3 clean sheets in their three matches played so far. After two consecutive matches played away from home, the Accra fans are expected to be in full voice when they host their team.
Bechem United on the hand, are one of those teams that will not expect to do too well playing away from home. After 2 wins in three, Bechem have surprisingly started well. But then again, both of those were at home. Midfielder Eric Kumi should return to the side following his red card against Medeama but more importantly for the Phobians, Man of the match in their opening day victory over Edubiase Samudeen Ibrahim, makes an injury return.
Prediction: Hearts of Oak 2-0 Bechem United
Match: Berekum Chelsea Vs Asante Kotoko
Venue: Golden City Park, Berekum
Kick-off: 3pm
It’s only the 4th game of the season but Kotoko’s visit to Berekum could potentially be a make or break affair. 2 points from a possible 9 isn’t exactly the kind of start the supporters of the Porcupine Warriors envisaged for their team. But that’s the reality.
The problem with Kotoko has not only been their inability to win games, but the team hasn’t played well either. Granted, it was a much improved performance from Kotoko in their midweek game against AshantiGold. But that didn’t give them victory. Head coach David Duncan has already recognised what’s wrong with his team. They lack cutting edge in front of goal. Partly, that’s been due to injuries to key players, including teenage sensation Dauda Mohammed and new signing from Olympics Kwame Boateng.
But even more telling, has been the absence of experienced enforcer Jackson Owusu, who broke his leg playing in a community gala. Duncan admitted after the Ashgold game Jackson’s absence was a huge blow because he built his team around him. The last time these two sides met, it was an unthinkable 3-0 mauling at the Baba Yara Sports stadium. This will be a very good game to watch.
Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Asante Kotoko
Match: Hasaacas Vs Ashantigold
Venue: Essipong Stadium, Sekondi
Kick-off: 3pm
Oh dear! Sekondi Hasaacas! I have never seen a team with such a worse defensive record. In three games, the Doo Boys have already shipped in 10 goals. It will appear Hasaacas haven’t learnt any lessons from last season, finishing the 2014/2015 season as one of the worse teams defensively, conceding 35 goals in 30 games. They do turn to score a lot of goals at home. With their striking trio Eric Bekoe, Samuel Afful and Papa Arko nicknamed the “MSN”, Hasaacas have enough firepower upfront to dispatch any team. Unfortunately, their defenders keep letting them down. Ashgold put the disappointment of exiting Africa behind them to secure a vital away draw to Kotoko in midweek. But Ashgold are not good away travellers. One thing that’s likely to happen in this game is a high-scoring game of football.
Prediction: Hasaacas 2-2 AshantiGold
Match: Aduana Stars Vs WAFA
Venue: Agyemang Badu Park, Dormaa
Kick-off: 3pm
Zero points in 3 games, a resigned head coach and a fired assistant, this is not how anyone expected Aduana Stars to start this season. But bottom of the table is where they are. Down under. With all of the money spent on so many big name players, they should have been top of the table. But big name players don’t necessarily make the best team. And that’s what has happened to the Ogya boys.
They have struggled to make a good team out of all of those individual players brought in. In new coach Cioaba Aristica, Aduana have a familiar man and perhaps a stronger character to deal with all of those egos in the dressing room.
WAFA on the other hand, are coming off one of the best, if not their best ever result in the Ghana premier league. A hattrick for Black Stars prospect Samuel Tetteh was the icing on a spectacular display in Sogakope which gave them a resounding 5-0 victory over Hasaacas. However, I will not be tempted to believe WAFA can put up any performance remotely close to that of last week. The pitch quality is not the same and Dormaa is a hostile Environment. If Aduana are to get their season back on track, it should begin with this game. There’s a bit of subplot too as Zakaria Mumuni (Aduana) comes up against his former teammates.
Prediction: Aduana stars 2-1 WAFA
Match: Liberty Professionals Vs Techiman City
Venue: Alhaji Sly Tetteh Park, Dansoman
Kick-off: 3pm
Techiman City might have had a great start to the season so far, winning 2 of their opening 3 games. Apart from the experience of Stephen Manu and Samuel Kyere Snr Techiman also have one of the most exciting players in the league in Baba “John” Mahama. Liberty got a crucial away draw in Wa and will be looking to build on that when they host Techiman City. Liberty easily dispatched Inter Allies the last time they played at home and Latif Blessing and his teammates should be able to account for Yussif Abubakar’s charges.
Prediction: Liberty Professionals 2-1 Techiman City
