Oly stun Kotoko 1-0

Accra (Greater Accra), 19th April 

A 16th-minute strike by defender Naana Eshun was all that Accra Great Olympics needed to silence the red-shirted Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their eighth-week ABC Golden Lager premier football league match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday. It was a terrific grounder from a free kick outside the penalty area, which sailed through the defence wall of Kotoko to the right corner of the net.

Prior to the commencement of the game, the two teams engaged in a heated argument as to whether the match should be played or not. Olympics argued that after a four-hour down pour, the soggy pitch was not suitable for the match to be played. Besides, the attendance was likely to be low. But Kotoko, led by their Board Chairman, Herbert Mensah, insisted that the match should be honoured.

Ho-based referee Carl Amevor later summoned the two teams to the pitch for the start of the game after he and his two assistants had inspected the field.

Oly kicked off but Kotoko quickly took control of the game. However, against the run of play, Oly shot into the lead with Eshun's 16th minute strike.

Many were Kotoko fans who held a strong view that their team would equalise and possibly beat Olympics but it never came true. Kotoko did all the attacking while Oly played a defensive game with occasional counter-attacks.

In the 35th minute referee Amevor ignored a perfect goal scored by skipper Prince Adu Poku of Kotoko, who sneaked through Oly's defence to tap in a lose ball but it was disallowed for off-side.

Essuman Dadzie came in for Kotoko's Burkinabe striker Kambou Clovis in the 52nd minute while Oly brought on Wisdom Abbey for Razak Pimpong five minutes later.

The attack of Kotoko became more purposeful in the last quarter of the game when veteran George Arthur came on for Ernest Boateng yet they could not find the net.