By: Nana Kwame Bediako
Accra Hearts of Oak were crushed 2-3 in the hands of their arch rivals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, on Sunday, December 10, 2023.
The clash between the two big teams brought euphoria and excitement among fans at the Baba Yara Stadium. The match began with an exceptional display as Hearts of Oak’s Ibrahim Salifu delivered a superb cross from a free kick, which was helped on by Mtange’s excellent header to break the deadlock in the 37th minute.
With tension erupting on the side of Kotoko, they made sure the game ended on level terms in the first half when Isaac Oppong scored a superb goal in the 44th minute to gear up some momentum for the second half.
The second half came to life when Kotoko sparked the charge to continue on a high note as they ended the first half when Steven Mukwala calmly shot them in front in the 56th minute to make it 1-2 in favour of Kotoko. Mukwala again followed up with another goal in the 75th minute to make it 1-3 for Kotoko.
Hearts of Oak managed to pull one back to stage a comeback when Martin Karikari scored a late second goal, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Porcupine Warriors from claiming bragging rights in the super clash.
Kotoko, in a short period of time, has turned the page from a poor side to a good side by winning five consecutive matches, putting them in contention to compete for the league title this season, leaving them just four points behind the top spot.
