Top4: Will it be Hearts or Kotoko?

The much talked about "who is who" in the soccer arena will stop on Sunday as Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak seek to walk the talk when the two rivals lock horns at the Accra Sports Stadium to determine their fate in the on going Coca Cola Top Four championship.

Matches involving the two most glamorous clubs have since time immemorial remained crunchy and fierce and the off the pitch arguments coupled with the seemingly tension among the teeming fans of both sides give credence to what to expect come Sunday.


Obviously, both teams will be determined to out do each other regardless of the current form they possessed since matches involving them have always gone beyond predictions by the bookmakers, connoisseurs of the game and the calibre of players of each side.


Hearts enter Sunday's game as favourite as they are currently up on the four-club table with four points coupled with their massive win against Liberty in their last game which will serve as morale booster to their game plan.


Kotoko on the other hand come into the game as the defending champions and will hope to ride on that glory coupled with the array of stars in their possession as against a "tired" Phobians side which is likely to fuel the necessary tension both on and off the pitch.


While the Phobians are tipped to play a more relaxed game, the Porcupine Warriors who recorded a slim win against Liberty in the opener of the competition and lost to King Faisal will be under immense pressure to hold their own and record victory at the expense of Hearts to solidify their chances of retaining the trophy they won last season.


While both teams fared badly in their respective first games but earned relevant points, Hearts improved slightly in their second game, while Kotoko fumbled against Faisal setting the stage for both teams to be at each other's throat to tilt the pendulum in their favour.

Regardless the hullabaloo surrounding who will lead the "Garden City" lads technical bench as the "D" day approaches since coach Abdul Razak is said to be under pressure to resign following last Sunday's defeat, Kotoko are poised to bang their hopes on the back-to-form Nana Arhin Duah, Joe Hendrich, and Dan Acquah who missed the Faisal game due to injuries.


Kotoko will also hope to rely on the services of newly found trio of William Tiero, George Yamoah and Samuel Addo who will be playing in Accra for the first time since they joined Kotoko from Liberty to partner the likes of Charles Taylor, Stephen Oduro, Yussif Chipsah, Eddy Owusu Ansah with possibly George Owu in post to do the battle.


With the stakes so high, the Kotoko defence of the Hendrich's and Acquah's are expected to find their match in the Hearts duo of Lawrence Adjei and Ablade Morgan who are always tough customers on a good day. Having plunged to a secret camping ahead of the titanic encounter, Coach Herbert Addo who led his boys to humiliate the (Scientific soccer lads), Liberty Professionals will have a good reason to line-up the defence with the Daniel's: Dan Coleman, Dan Quaye, Dan Oppong and skipper Amankwaa Mireku to stop the likely threat from Michael Osei (emba power'), Shilla Alhassan and Kojo Poku Jnr.


All things being equal, the game which is the first meeting for both sides in the new year, will in all respects be a thriller and with good officiating and weather the fanatical fans will have a lot to cheer about come Sunday.


At the Kumasi Sports Stadium, the inform Faisal team start as favourites to have the edge over the Sly Tetteh boys who are yet to record a goal or a point in the two-week old tourney.


The two sides sold good games in their home and away matches in the last league, but with the exit of six key players of Liberty, which have apparently affected their performance, the story is not likely to change as the likes of Kojo Poku, Abubakar Yahuza, Eric Gawu and skipper Hamza Mohammed are poised to maintain their position on the league table which places them just behind Hearts with inferior goal aggregates.