AshGold, Kotoko clash in match of destiny

The First Capital Plus Premier League leaders, Ashgold, have their championship aspirations on the line as they come up on Sunday against defending champions, Asante Kotoko, in a match-day 24 top of the fixture clash at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi.

The regional derby comes with all the attention and seriousness it deserves as it could unmake either of the sides which would drop points.

The Miners, occupying the top spot of the log on 41 points, and two points adrift of second-placed Berekum Chelsea, have a herculean task up their sleeves as they lock horns with relegation-threatened Kotoko.

Ashgold had in the course of the league opened an eight- point lead, but could not capitalize on it, losing some vital points in their recent matches to put the team in a dire situation.

Already, supporters of the club, sensing danger had cautioned the team to stay focused or face their wrath.

“We cannot allow this chance to slip by, and for this reason, it is incumbent on the team to fight gallantly to beat Kotoko and also win the League”, Aminu Musah, a Member of the Shaft, the supporters wing of Ashgold, told the GNA Sports.

The Head Coach, Bashiru Hayford, has also affirmed the team’s resolve to confront their remaining matches with zeal to help the team claim the ultimate.

For Kotoko, firmly rooted in the relegation zone, and occupying the 12th position on 29 points, their campaign for survival in the League ostensibly, starts with this crucial clash.

The team, held a stakeholders’ emergency meeting in Kumasi to chart the path for success, following the team’s worst performance in the League in the club’s 80-year old history.

“Kotoko will not be relegated come what may”, a confident Samuel Opoku-Nti, the General-Manager and a Kotoko legend, told the GNA Sports.

The last time the two teams met at the same venue, it was Kotoko who carried the day, beating Ashgold 2-0 in the semis to advance to the MTN FA Cup grand finale.