Top4: Faisal split honors with Hearts

Kumasi King Faisal forced Accra Hearts of Oak to split honors when they settled to a 1-1 drawn game to officially open the Coca-Cola Top 4 tournament played at the Accra sports Stadium of Thursday.

In a match that both sides gave a good account of themselves, it was the visitors who kicked off and dominated the early stages but found the rear guard of Hearts marshaled around Daniel Coleman difficult to break down in the early stages.

The Phobians, urged on by their teeming supporters came into the game and in the sixth and seventh minutes created two quick decent openings which Lawrence Adjei and Yaw Amankwa Mireku just fired wide off target.

Both teams settled down to good football but it was the Phobians who were slightly on top of the proceedings who came close for an opener in the 10th minute but for a daring save by Faisal's goalie Mohammed Suraji who rushed out to pluck the ball off the feet of Prince Tagoe who was put through by Osei Kuffour.

Faisal in a moment of action took the lead in the 20th minute when last year's joint goal king Kojo Poku scored with a spectacular diving volley into the corner of the net to draw applause from both sides of fans at the stadium.

Hearts immediately redoubled their efforts and in the 25th minute they came closer to getting the equalizer but for brilliant double saves exhibited by Suraju who managed to contain the goal bound shots of Tagoe and Kuffour from entering his net.

The home side who were incensed by the early goal against them doubled their efforts and came clearly on top and it became obvious that they could not be held back any longer and the needed equalizer actually came in the 35th minute through Kuffour who rose majestically to nod in a cross from Kwame Antwi beyond the reach of Suraju.

Buoyed by the well-deserved equalizer, the Phobians probed further for more goals, which they nearly had in the 41st and 43rd minutes but for some good goal keeping exhibited by Suraju who robbed Adjah Tetteh and Lawrence Adjei of their efforts.

The second half saw the introduction of Bernard Don Bortey for debutante Prince Tagoe but the anticipated returns from his inclusion by the fans never materialized as he was well marked out of the game by Abass Inusah who had a great game at the back.

Faisal made some quick substitutions to strengthen their midfield when they brought on Eric Gawu and Aziz Ampeh for Godwin Ablordey and Ben Wilson in the 60th and 68th minutes and this worked to their advantage as they dominated play from then on.

The faster wingers of Faisal from then on had a field day as they run riot opening the Hearts defence on a number of occasions but they failed to convert any of the chances that came their way.

In the 82nd minute, Faisal nearly increased the tally but for a timely header across the goal line by Kwame Antwi who managed to stop the goal bound effort from Ampeh who had another chance to put away the rebound but could not maintain his composure and rather fired wide off target.

With the game drawing to a close, a rare mistake at the rear by Inusah of Faisal gave Lawrence Adjei a clear chance at getting a goal but the striker could not keep his cool as he fired wide off the mark. At the end of the game Faisal's Prince Antwi who played well in the middle won the best player of the match award.

Kotoko begin defence of title on good note while Hearts falter

Accra, Jan. 22, GNA - Defending Top Four Champions, Kumasi Asante Kotoko opened the defence of their title on a good note, beating a depleted Liberty Professionals by a lone goal on Wednesday but their bitterest rivals, Hearts of Oak, faltered as they could only manage a 1-1 drawn game with King Faisal at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday. Despite the win, Kotoko were given a rare scare by Liberty, who showed no signs at all that they have lost their key players to Kotoko. Willaim Tiero, Sammy Addo, Daniel Yeboah and George Yamoah all shifted camp to join the "red shirted boys" while arrowhead Asamoah Gyan moved to Italy to join Udinese.

These mass transfer of players however seemed not to have affected Liberty's game plan as they battled Kotoko in every department of the game until Edmund Owusu Ansah's 45th-minute important goal that gave Kotoko the leader in the four-team standings trailed by Faisal and Hearts who are on a point each.

Faisal had an opportunity of joining Kotoko at the top but they wasted some glorious chances and painfully had to split the points with Hearts. The Kumasi-based club took the lead with "Wonder kid" Kwadwo Poku's half volley but their joy was short-lived as veteran Emmanuel Osei Kuffour equalized with a blistering header from Dan Quaye's cross. The thriller, lived-up to its billing and for the entire 90 minutes the fans got their money's worth. Faisal opened strongly with some threatening moves but Hearts repulsed the challenged after 15 minutes and since then, the pendulum swung from one end to the other. The Stadium came alive in the 20th minute when Poku's unblemished bicycle kick, which hit the upright before entering the net, brought every fan to his feet. The Hearts back-line was caught flatfooted and the goal simply stunned the Phobians.

Kuffour brought his rich experience to bear on the game as he pushed his boys forward and 16 minutes after the surprised goal, the SWAG award-winning player rose to nod home the equalizer. Hearts technical men introduced ginger-haired Bernard Don Bortey who had just returned from Russia for trials whose presence was met with deafening cheers. His introduction however, hardly changed the pattern of the game as Faisal tore the Hearts team apart especially during the last quarter of the game.

The "Nokia boys" more resolute in defense and pivoted around Habib Mohammed and the Kwadwo Poku-led attack mesmerized the Hearts defense but unfortunately they failed to convert the chances that came their way into goals and painfully had to settle for a one all drawn game.