Ghana Premier League Preview: Asante Kotoko eye double win over Hearts of Lions in Kpando
Kotoko have set their eyes on a double win over stubborn Heart of Lions as they trek to the Lions’ den in Sunday’s 2014/15 First Capital Plus Premier League, match 16 fixture at the Kpando Park.
The second half of the season resumes on Sunday, June 7. Having routed Heart of Lions 4-0 in the first round of the competition at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Coach David Duncan and his players are confident of another exciting game capped by victory in the return match.
Although Kotoko appreciate the difficulty of the task at the invariably unfriendly Kpando Park, they are in no mood to surrender when they face with the badly wounded Heart of Lions team.
Speaking on Kotoko’s chances in Sunday’s second round opener with Asantekotokosc.com, Abeiku Ainooson wasn’t ready to admit that, Heart of Lions would be mincemeat. “They are a difficult team and playing at home, they would want to show their fans that, they are better than Kotoko” said the trusted Kotoko centre back.
“We beat them 4-0 in the first round. I’m sure they’ve that at the back of their minds so it’s not going to be easy for us” added the defender who promised that, Kotoko would return from Kpando unscathed.
Any Heart of Lions-Kotoko game at the Kpando Park has attracted massive attendance. That of Sunday isn’t expected to be any different as Heart of Lions’ supporters would come to throw their weight behind their team with hopes of avenging the Kumasi humiliation.
While Heart of Lions are assured of strong home support, Kotoko would nonetheless be orphaned as they’ve very loyal fans in Kpando and the Volta Region on the whole. These fans especially from the regional capital, Ho will be coming in their numbers to cheer the team.
Kotoko players must draw inspiration from their first round massive win to tame the Lions in addition to buttressing the point that, the big score line they had in the Kumasi encounter was no fluke. Coming from their FA Cup 1-0 win over RTU, Kotoko must stay on the winning path and send signals of their intention to capture the first spot on the league table.
Talking about the league table, the positions of Kotoko and Heart of Lions bring into sharp focus why Kotoko can’t afford to lose guard in Sunday’s fixture. Even though Kotoko are 5th and Heart of Lions are 11th, the two teams are only separated by two points. Kotoko have 22 points whereas Heart of Lions are with 20 points.
A win for Kotoko will see them climb to 4th position with 25 points but should Heart of Lions triumph, they could jump six places with 23 points. The closeness of the teams on the table gives no comfort to any side since one slip could be detrimental to ambitions of claiming a dignified position.
Kotoko fans should rest assured that, Coach Duncan will parade the best of players to secure the desired results in the potentially cagey game. Kotoko are bent on moving to the top of the table. As a result, victory over Heart of Lions will not only add to their ultimate ambition but also give clear indications to their fans that they can be hopeful of another league title.
Source: Asante Kotoko Express
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