Hearts, Kotoko share honours in Independence Cup match

Africa Super Champions, Accra Hearts of Oak and their bitterest rival, Kumasi Asante Kotoko failed to lift the 44th Independence day trophy after a 1-1 drawn game at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The two clubs' chairmen, Herbert Mensah of Kotoko and Harry Zakkour of Hearts, agreed after the 90 minutes of crunchy play and bizarre refereeing, that the match be shifted to Tuesday March six, at the same venue.

Hearts, playing with mainly new recruits shot into the lead in the fifth minute when young George Eranio latched on "controversial" Bernard Don Bortey's through ball and chipped a low left grounder to beat sprawling goalkeeper Louis Qainoo.

That goal galvanised the Phobians who earlier in the game were being outclassed by Kotoko; but Matthew Attiogbe, Bortey and diminutive Charles Allotey failed to increase the tally.

The closest Kotoko came was in the 20th minute when former captain of Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs, Joe Sam shot into the hands of James Nanor. But barely six minutes later, Stephen Oduro who came on for Kwaku Duah changed the pattern of the game but like his colleagues, he could not find the net.

Against the run of play however in the 28th minute, Allotey one of the four senior players who featured for Hearts raced into the penalty area of Kotoko. Hard pressed defender Issac Owusu had no option but to bring him down in the box but the infringement was surprisingly ignored by Tamale-based FIFA referee Ibrahim Iddrisu.

Disaster struck both teams in the 31st minute when Owusu was red carded for dissent while Allottey and Eranio of Hearts were also shown the exit for second bookable offences in 51 and 69th minutes.

Togolese International Frank Atsou drew level for Kotoko in the 54th minute with a header from Oduro's corner. From then on Kotoko dominated the rest of the game but were unlucky on several occasions not to add to their goal tally.

Oduro hit the woodwork in the 81st minute while Nanor also pulled some dramatic saves from efforts of Nana Frimpong and Joe Sam in the dying minutes of the game.

Tuesday's match kicks off at 1700 hours GMT.