There will be no fans in the stands when the biggest game on the Ghanaian football calendar gets underway at the Accra Sports Stadium, today, February 28.
The Ghana Football Association has so far resisted attempts to reopen the stadium to fans for this particular game after it ordered all matches to be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The match was initially scheduled for Valentine’s Day, February 14, but had to be rescheduled due to Kotoko’s match in the CAF Confederations Cup.
The past few weeks have been chaotic for Hearts of Oak with fans storming the club’s head office following the exit of coach Kosta Papic, assistant coach Asare Bediako and the goalkeepers’ trainer.
But life without these coaches have been great so far with Hearts picking all the six maximum points from the two games played.
They head into Sunday’s game with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over local rivals Liberty Professionals.
Kotoko on the other hand will play their first league game since they were knocked out of the CAF Confederations Cup.
A match between Kotoko and Bechem United scheduled for last Thursday was rained off.
The Porcupines Warriors thus come into today’s match with a record of two wins, two draws and a loss in their last five matches.
Hearts, on the other hand, have two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five games.
On the Ghana Premier League Table, sixth-placed Hearts of Oak are just one goal above Kotoko with both clubs having 23 points each.
Between the archrivals, 106 league matches have been played since 1958 with Hearts winning 35, Kotoko winning 33, and 38 of the matches ending in a draw.
Kotoko have won the Ghana league title 23 times, four times more than Hearts of Oak who have 19 league titles.
The Numbers ??????
— Felix Romark © (@FelixRomark) February 27, 2021
?? Kumasi Asante Kotoko
???? Accra Hearts Of Oak
Most League Titles: Asante Kotoko
Most League wins: Asante Kotoko
Most League goals: Asante Kotoko
Most League points: Asante Kotoko pic.twitter.com/AEPtHJ9Ej0