The Glo Premier league resumes this weekend with the busiest fixture at the Wa Park where second placed All Stars will be pitching their strength against fourth placed Berekum Chelsea.
Many pundits tipped the former league champions (Chelsea) to retain the title they won last year haven’t beefed their squad with some good signings but judging from their position on the log Chelsea have a tall mountain to climb if they really want to retain the title.
All Stars have been quite impressive at their backyard and will certainly prepare a bitter meal for Chelsea to swallow at the Wa Park but news coming from the camp of the former champions has it that Chelsea is approaching this match with all the seriousness it deserves. All Stars are currently second on the table with 23 points whiles Chelsea on the other hand are fourth on the log with 20 points.
All Stars have lost only one match at their backyard and looks to adding Chelsea to their snick of conquers but should the Chelsea midfield machine vibrate then the story could be different at the Wa Park as Chelsea can snatch a slim away win.
Another equally grueling encounter will be the match between the ‘Porcupine Warriors’, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and former African Champions League campaigners Aduana Stars at the Baba Yara Stadium.
Kotoko resumed training early to keep their players focus ahead of their remaining matches and have so far played three friendly matches. Aduana have also been in camp for the past eight days in other to have adequate preparation ahead of the match.
Kotoko leads the table with 24 maximum points whiles Aduana are seventh on the log with 18 points. Information from both camps has it that a special winning bonus has been prepared ahead of the match and what is left for the players is to go on the field and get the business done.
Asante Kotoko is richer than Aduana in the attacking and the midfield area and looks the favorite to carry the three points at stake but the visitors are tactically astute and can cause havoc should Kotoko underrate them but the red army are standing at ease and are ready to march on.
At the Accra Sports Stadium, Glorious Accra Hearts of Oak will welcome ‘Soccer Miners’ Ashantigold in a match which promises to be full of fireworks. Hearts are third on the log with 22 points whiles the soccer miners are eleventh with just 14 points. Hearts are going into this match without their promising midfielder Thomas Abbey who is still nursing an ankle injury but the phobia supporters will be delighted to see their midfield dinosaur Uriah Asante who have been absent for over a month and Kofi Abanga who has been out for a season.
The secret of Hearts in this season has been their midfield and Coach Nebojsa Vucecivic will have it difficulty choosing from the likes of Uriah Asante, Douglas Nkrumah, Moro Abubakar, Joseph Tagoe, young but skillful Isaac Ofori, Kofi Abanga and Theophilus Apor.
Upon Hearts’ numerous talents in the midfield, Coach Vucecivic has not been able to give Mahatma Otoo a striking partner to help the lad do the job required of him in the attacking third of the pitch. On the Other hand Ashantigold’s only secret lies in their left fullback Latif Mohammed who has been playing with a lot of precision but his solitary effort can not scare the phobians who are determine to give Kotoko a hot chase for the title.
Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs will play host to the ‘Scientific Soccer Lads’ Liberty professionals at the Cape-Coast Robert Mensah Stadium. Dwarfs are fifth on the log with 19 points whiles Liberty professionals are ninth on the table with 17 points.
Dwarfs are yet to loose a match at the Robert Mensah Stadium this season and are 70% favorite to picking the three points at stake but their defence needs to be 90 minutes alert on Micheal Helegbe as he can change things with a whisker.
At the Nana Gyamfi Park in Bekwai on Saturday, New Edubiase united will face the ever dreaded Medeama Sporting Club. Edubiase are sixth on the table with 19 points whiles Medeama are eighth with 18 points.
New Edubiase are going to play without their dare devil striker Emmanuel Baffour who has been named in Coach Stevanovic’s 25 man squad for the African Nations Cup in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea and this will certainly ease pressure from the Medeama defence.
Visitors Medeama looks the favorite to carrying all the three points at stake because the home side looks ordinary without their leading marksman. Apart from that, Medeama are a very strong side in the middle and their attacking trio of Luis Agyeman, Tanko Mohammed and Hans Koffie are always troublesome to any defence.
Berekum Arsenal will welcome Hearts of Lions to the Berekum Golden City Park. Arsenal is in the relegation basket on thirteenth position with 10 points whiles Kpando Hearts of Lions are twelfth with 14 points. Both clubs have not been impressive this season and a draw looks likely in this encounter but if the Arsenal strikers will lift up to expectation then the Berekum lads will surely carry the day.
At the Sekondi Sports Stadium at Essipong, bottom placed Wassaman united will play host to Tema Youth. Tema Youth are tenth on the table with 15 points whiles Wassaman are first from bottom with just 7 points.
Wassaman are still not impressive to watch as a premiership side and no magic can save them from going to relegation. Tema Youth looks favourite to picking all the three points but the home side can surprise them should their back four loose concentration.
On Saturday at the Accra Sports Stadium, two relegation threaten sides Mighty Jets and Bechem united will engage in ‘operation out of relegation’.
Mighty Jets are fourteenth on the log with 10 points as well as Bechem united but the home side is ahead via superior goal aggregate.
PREDICTIONS
M. Jets 2 – 1 Bechem united Edubiase 1 – 2 Medeama Arsenal 1 – 0 Lions Hearts 2 – 0 Ashantigold Wassaman 0 – 1 T. Youth Kotoko 2 – 0 Aduana Dwarfs 1 – 0 Liberty All Stars 1 – 1 Chelsea
By: El-Amisty Nobo/www.pinkfmonlinegh.com
