Asante Kotoko grabbed the points in the Ghana Premier League derby with a 2-1 win over Hearts of Oak in Accra on Sunday.

Striker Naby Keita struck from 12 yards to steal the points after Mohammed Alhassan handled Matthew Cudjoe's ball inside the box.

Kotoko took the lead in the 11th minute after a Joseph Blay powerful header but Hearts of Oak levelled after the hour mark through Joseph Esso.

GHANASoccernet.com Adwoa Gyamfua made observations from the first installment of the Ghana Premier League derby.

Mudasiru Salifu is a Beast :The Asante Kotoko midfielder proved too pivotal in the 28 minutes he spent on the pitch. He had to be substituted after aggravating an old injury. Before that, he had bossed the midfield and made two breakaway moves. His departure created a vacuum and allowed Hearts of Oak to come back into the game. He picked up an injury in the Berekum Chelsea defeat and missed the matches against Medeama and Ebusua Dwarfs. He is proven to be the unsung hero.


Hearts of Oak midfield cosmetic : Before the derby clash, the talk had been about the improved diamond midfield lubricated by the arrival of Emmanuel Nettey. But they looked ordinary with the Kotoko initial pair of Joseph Blay and Mudasiru Salifu eclipsed Benjamin Afutu and Nettey.


Matthew Cudjoe is not hype : The 16-year-old was introduced in the 68th minute when both sides were tied at 1-1. His sultry skills drew some fouls for the Porcupine Warriors. It was it shot at goal which came off the hand of Mohammed Alhassan for the penalty. Before that, he brilliantly ghosted past his marker to hit the bar line before whipping in a cross with his weaker right foot which nearly fetched the second goal. Emmanuel Gyamfi's header was tipped over superbly by goalkeeper Richard Atta.


The Super Clash is not dead : The crowd was huge and the stadium almost filled to its capacity. The decision not to sell advanced tickets did not dampen their spirits as they thronged the Accra Sports Stadium. It was a standard output for the Super Clash. It bodes well for the topmost clash on the Ghanaian football calendar.