Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak each missed a penalty to settle for their sixth respective drawn games in their 2020/21 Ghana Premier League match-day 14 outstanding fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium Sunday afternoon.
It was the 107th fixture between the country’s two most glamourous clubs – and the Super Clash, though deprived of goals, remained dramatic, ending in a 37th draw. Two former Nkoranza Warriors teammates – Kwame Opoku and Isaac Mensah failed to convert from the spot in either half.
A rush challenge by Nuru Sulley on Kwame Opoku inside two minutes handed Kotoko an early chance to take the lead via a penalty.
But the resultant spot-kick got saved by Hearts goalkeeper Richard Attah.
Hearts got their first chance in the 6th minute when Emmanuel Sarkodie lost possession in midfield. Kwadwo Obeng Jnr, with the ball, spotted the run of Patrick Razak who beat the outstepping goalkeeper Razak Abalora with his shot but the ball came off the post.
Abalora scored full marks again in the 10th minute when his centre-back Mubarik Yussif’s failed pass set Obeng Jnr on goal but the shot-stopper did well to deny the Hearts forward from scoring.
Kotoko, in one of their rare successful forays, Anabila found Naby Keita with a nice cutback in the 33rd minute but the Guinea forward’s strike from inside the box went wide.
Four minutes to the break, the tormenting Razak outwitted Christopher Nettey but his final effort at goal was not as dangerous as the pace applied in the attack.
Kotoko got better with their midfield play in the second half and produced two lovely buildups but their final balls were not threatening enough for Richard Attah.
In the 70th minute, goalkeeper Abalora committed a penalty after his outstretched leg caught substitute Isaac Mensah in the box.
Mensah, the teenage forward, stepped up but it was time for the Kotoko keeper to spare his own blushes with a top save.
Five minutes from time, substitute Patrick Asmah stretched the Hearts backline with a fine pass to Kwame Opoku who beat Mohammed Alhassan and delivered a brilliant, charged down and brilliantly shot on target but the ball clipped the woodwork and out for a goal kick.
Both Kotoko and Hearts were guilty of poor decision-making in the final minutes.
Mudasiru Salifu and Fabio Gama hesitated when they came close to breaking the deadlock while at the other end, Michelle Sarpong couldn’t find the target with an attempted lob over a jittery Razak Abalora who had come way off his line to give a poor pass.
The 0-0 stalemate means both sides stay tied on 24 points though Kotoko have two games – against King Faisal and Bechem United in hand.
