Soccer News of Sunday, 23 March 2003
Source: .
Hearts and Kotoko would today (Sunday) clash in a battle of pride and reputation to draw the curtains on the month-long LG top 4 tourney.
Already on 15 points from five games, Kotoko are unofficial champions of the competition, but going by the rivalry between them and Accra Hearts of Oak, the Porcupine Warriors would like to complete the double over Hearts who would have to restore some confidence in their army of supporters with a massive victory.
Kotoko, for some years now have found the Accra Sports Stadium an unfavourable breeding grounds in matches against Hearts, but the trend seems to over as Coach Abdul Razak appears to have found an antidote to their problems and their fans are already talking about their first league title in 10 years.
In their first match in Kumasi, Coach Razak proved to cynics that his defeat over Hearts in the 2002 champions League with Stade Malien was no fluke when he handed them a 2-0 defeat at the Kumasi Sports Stadium and has indicated his readiness to repeat the dose.
But the big question is whether Hearts are in the mood to swallow another bitter pill especially at a time when the tenure of the management members of the club is at stake, following the teams poor showing in the tourney, while Coach Herbert Addo' job is also in danger.
With a rock solid defence featuring Joe Hendricks, Dan Acquah, Aziz Ansah and Godfred Yeboah, Coach Razak has the men to put the brakes on Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Wisdom Abbey, Massawudu Mumuni and off-colour Bernard Don Bortey.
On the other hand, the weak midfield engine of Hearts would find it difficult to battle with a set of new generation of midfielders in Kotoko pivoted around Eddy Owusu-Ansah of Feyenood, in-form Micheal Asante and Yusif Chibsah of Olympics and King Faisal fame respectively.
But the return of petit Charles Allotey and Adjah Tetteh in Hearts midfield would bring some stability in their midfield but would have to do extra work together with Dan Quaye, Kwabena Boafo Amankwaa Mireku and Dan Oppong in defence to contain the ever-improving attack of Kotoko led by Isaac Boakye, Steven Oduro and Michael Osei who have so far scored 10 goals in the tourney.
However an expected come back of controversial wizard dribbler Charles Taylor in the Hearts attack would bring some hope in the Hearts attack and possibly conjure a magic for the long suffering phobians.
Taylor is however reported to be in dilemma as to which club to feature for this season since Kotoko are said to be convincing the player with a mouth-watering signing on fee, while Hearts are in no mood to release the player for any amount.
A critical look at the tactical play of Hearts and Kotoko will reveal that, the latter is far ahead and a second victory for them is assured but trust the phobians to fight till their bones are rotten in order to restore their image as the champion club in the country.
As always expected, matches between the two sides attract so much arguments from their followers irrespective of their form of the clubs but with everything set for the "second world war" PRIDE would be the determining factor.