Veteran coach Joseph E. Sarpong has praised Karela United and Great Olympics in his assessment of the Ghana Premier League after the first round.

The first round ended over the weekend with Karela United and Great Olympics surprisingly occupying the first and second spot respectively.

The two teams performance is in sharp contrast to last season. They were candidates for relegation before the league got truncated because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"They have performed very creditably and generated keen interest in the league and made it very competitive."

"However, it is very easy to get on top of the league ladder but very difficult to continue staying at the top," Coach Sarpong told the Daily Graphic in his assessment of the first round.

"Karela’s stay on top can come under threat when the second round begins. This is because every team wants to be there so they would be the target of many of the participating teams, especially Kotoko, Hearts, Medeama and Dreams FC."

Asked which team is likely to win the league, he stated that, "Kotoko, Hearts and Medeama are likely to improve on their performances when the second round begins."

"With 17 more matches and 51 points to fight for, the league would be more competitive and considering their experience as traditional clubs, they will go all out to battle for the trophy at stake."

The league will resume on March 20.