Hearts of Oak take on Kotoko in week 14
The historic clash between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Matchday 14 of the 2023/24 Ghana Premier League is more than just a football match. It's a continuation of a storied rivalry that dates back to 1958.
The first match played between the two sides was recorded on 8th August 1954 at the Kumasi Jackson Park which Kotoko won by 3-0.
It will be the 112th meeting between the two clubs in the Ghana Premier League and it will be 200th in all-time meetings since 8th August 1954. The League meetings do not include the 2018 & 2019-20 league seasons that were cancelled.
All the truncated seasons are not part of their official league meetings since it was declared null and void but are part of their all-time meetings.
Their First League game between the two sides was played on 24th August 1958 at Sir Francis Jackson's Park in Kumasi but the match was abandoned in the 70th minute because Gargo Moro, a Kotoko player who was sent off refused to go off the pitch. Hearts were leading 3-0 at 1st Half and Kotoko used ten minutes to score 3 goals but Hearts made it 4-3.
The League Management Committee met on the matter and decided that there should be a replay because it was the crowd who interfered with the progress of the game and the referee was compelled under the circumstances to abandon the match.
Akwasi Amofa was the first player to score a goal for Asante Kotoko in their meeting while Offei Dodoo was also the first player to score for Hearts of Oak.
The last time these 2 teams played was on Mar 5 2023, with Asante Kotoko at home, and Accra Hearts of Oak getting the victory 1-0.
Hearts of Oak come into this game lying 8th on the league log with 16 points while Asante Kotoko are 7th with 19 points.
Here's a glimpse into the stats of this iconic fixture:
HEARTS OF OAK VS KUMASI ASANTE KOTOKO ALL LEAGUE MEETINGS SINCE 1958
Total matches played - 111
Hearts of Oak wins - 37
Asante Kotoko wins - 36
Drawn games - 39
ALL MATCHES PLAYED AT THE ACCRA SPORTS STADIUM
Total matches played - 104
Hearts of Oak wins - 32
Goals scored - 108
Asante kotoko wins - 36
Goals scored - 107
Drawn games - 36
JNA
