Top4: Kotoko beat Hearts

Kumasi, Feb 15, GNA - A totally transformed Kumasi Asante Kotoko team posted a 2-1 win over their archrivals, Accra Hearts of Oak in one of the finals of the GHALCA/Coca-Cola Top Four Tournament played at the Kumasi Sports stadium on Sunday.

The victory thus makes Kotoko one of the two clubs to go to South Africa to compete in a tournament later this year.

Two headed goals in each half by Frank Osei in the 35th and 47th minutes respectively were all Kotoko needed to carry the day, while Abdul Samad Okocha scored Hearts only goal in the 60th minute. Kotoko could have added a third goal but their offensive lateral defender, Aziz Ansah shot wide a 63rd minute penalty when the team's mercurial player, Charles Taylor was brought down in the Hearts penalty box.

Playing under instructions of Togolese referee R.I. Codjoe and his two assistants, Hearts kicked off but quickly lost the ball to Kotoko with William Tierro testing goalkeeper Sammy Adjei with a low grounder in the first minute.

With Kwame Adzagba and Yusif Chibsah supporting Stephen Oduro who worked like a loom, Kotoko seized control of the midfield and had Hearts reeling with stabbing raids and in the ninth minute, Aziz Ansah sent the ball across Hearts goalmouth but there was nobody to connect.

Hearts worked their way into the Kotoko goal area and earned a 22nd minute corner but the kick was wasted. They followed up with another miss in the 26th minute when Don Bortey capitalised on a dangerous mistiming of the ball by Joseph Hendricks and raced with it to the far corner of the field and sent the ball across the goalmouth but there was no Hearts attacker to finish it off.

Lawrence Adjei got injured in a tangle with Godfred Yeboah in the 29th minute who was quickly replaced by Nasiru Ghani.

William Tierro drew the first yellow card from Togolese referee Codjoe in the 32nd minute when he feigned injury in the Hearts penalty box.

Kotoko continued their onslaught and in the 35th minute, Charles Taylor took the ball from the midfield, breezed past two Hearts defenders and unleashed a low grounder which hit the post and rebounded into play for Frank Osei who was lurking around to head powerfully home for the opening goal.

Frank Osei was on target again in the 47th minute to head home a Charles Taylor corner kick to give Kotoko a 2-0 lead.

As the going became tough for the Hearts defence, they resorted to hard tackles and in the 59th minute, Adjah Tetteh was shown the yellow card for fouling Charles Taylor.

The Kotoko defence began to show signs of complacency and Hearts took advantage of their lack of concentration to pull a goal back through Abdul Samad Okocha in the 60th minute.

Determined to level up, Hearts pulled out Adjah Tetteh for Wisdom Abbey in the 61st minute but it was Kotoko who had all the chance to raise their tally when Charles Taylor was brought down in the penalty box in the 63rd minute but Aziz Ansah shot wide to the amazement of the home crowd.

Kotoko pulled out Aziz Ansah in the 65th minute for Edmund Owusu Ansah and again sent in Michael Asante for Frank Osei in the 68th minute as well as bringing on Michael Osei for William Tierro the 81st minute. However, these changes did not make any impact on the game as the final score stood 2-1 in favour of Kotoko.

Charles Taylor won the best player of the match.