Wasteful Asante Kotoko and AshantiGold held each other to a barren draw in their first Ashanti derby meeting of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League Sunday afternoon.
The Porcupine Warriors dominated without being at their clinical best up front where striker Kwame Opoku and Fabio Gama spurned lots of close-shave chances late in the game at Len Clay Stadium, Obuasi.
In a lively start, it was Kwame Opoku who had the game’s first chance when he was put through by Mudasiru Salifu in the 7th minute but his left-footed effort at near-post got stopped by Miners goalkeeper Bailoul Mohammed.
Skipper Ganiyu Ismail could have broken the deadlock on 22 minutes after a free-kick awkwardly landed his way inside the box but the centre-back chose a feeble placement shot instead of opting for power.
While under incessant attacks, AshantiGold resorted to catching Kotoko on the counter at the other end but missed the few chances they created.
Kotoko returned for the second half in search of an opening with more attacking substitutions but they continued to struggle to make any headway as a couple of long-range shots from midfielder Emmanuel Sarkodie kept flying off target.
The Porcupines had a flurry of chances in the closing stages but their efforts were thwarted by the Miners.
In the 85th minute, Kwame Opoku was set up to score by substitute Naby Keita but his strike went past the keeper and eluded the post by inches.
Two minutes later, it was Gama who looked the most likely to score but his close-range free header off a pinpoint cross from Samuel Frimpong just went over the bar.
The game ended in a barren stalemate with AshantiGold keeping an unbeaten home record to still sit above their regional rivals on the league table with superior goals after tying on 17 points. Kotoko also remain unbeaten on the road after match-day 11.
AshantiGold’s Kwadwo Amoako, who excelled in an unusual central midfield role, was adjudged NASCO man-of-the-match.
📸🗣| THE STANDINGS – 2020/21 #GPLwk11:
– With 21 points, @KarelaUtd_FC stay atop.
– The Top4 order changes with @BechemUnitedFC (19) back in second, @WAFAcademySC (18) move up to third and @AccraGtOlympics (18) taking 4th spot.
#FootyGPL | https://t.co/x4UJ3Gk4sE | pic.twitter.com/KpZYN7K1e6
— Footy-Ghana.com 🇬🇭 (@FootyGhana) January 31, 2021
