Aduana Stars were the only top four team to win on matchday 12, extending their lead at the top after both Kotoko and Hearts dropped points away from home, while Real Tamale United joined top six after a third win in five games.
Here are five talking points from midweek games.
SEYDOU ZERBO FEELING THE PRESSURE
On Wednesday, Kotoko drew for the third time in a row against Tamale City. When the Porcupines took the lead in the 84th minute thanks to an own goal, they thought they had earned three points, but they lost it two minutes later.
Prior to their match against Tamale City, the Porcupine Warriors had drawn with Aduana and Great Olympics.
Tamale City, who are currently 17th in the relegation zone, earned a point that could help them turn their season around and avoid relegation from the top flight.
Kotoko, on the other hand, are now four points behind the leaders and will need to do more to challenge Aduana and Hearts for the title.
Burkinabe coach Seydou Zerbo stormed out of the post-match interview, indicating that he is feeling the pressure. He was hired to defend the league championship, but given the club’s recent results, there are growing calls for his firing. He needs to act quickly and efficiently.
REAL TAMALE UNITED CHILLING WITH BIG BOYS
Real Tamale City won their third game in a row, beating Accra Lions 3-1 in the Northern Region. Real Tamale United are now sixth in the table, just two points behind Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, who are second and third, respectively.
It is a huge achievement for the club, given that they were tipped to be one of the three relegated clubs in the early stages of the season. They failed to win any of their first four games, but they now have five wins in eight games, which has catapulted them from the relegation zone to the top six, and if they maintain their current form, they can finish in the top four or even as champions because they are only five points behind first-placed Aduana Stars with many games to go.
FIVE-GAME WINLESS STREAK FOR OLYMPICS
Great Olympics were fortunate to have rescued a point at home as they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Gold Stars.
The Miners were on the verge of getting their third win on the road in this season’s competition but a timely intervention from Olympics saved the day as Yaw Preko’s men escaped a second home loss. Emmanuel Antwi and Aryeetey Ayikwei scored in the 85th and 87th minutes respectively to win a point for Oly Dade.
Great Olympics may have earned a nice comeback from the clash but their current form should be a huge concern.
They haven’t picked up a win in their last five matches and would have to go back five years to find such a bad run in their Ghana Premier League history. In March 2017, they went five games without a win, drawing three times and losing twice.
ADUANA STARS HOLDING ON TIGHT
Aduana finally got a win after three games when they defeated bottom-placed Kotoku Royals 2-0 to move four points clear at the top of the table.
They had a few opportunities to pull away from Kotoko and Hearts whenever the two teams failed to win, but they didn’t take them. They did it easily this time, and with a four-point lead at the top, they would be the more confident in the title race. They last won the league in 2017, and if they do this season, it will be their third since being promoted to the top flight in 2009.
MATTERS TURN SOUR FOR KARELA
Berekum Chelsea won narrowly at Golden City Park, handing Karela United their fifth defeat of the season. Karela have been desperate for a victory since defeating Bechem United on matchday five. They’ve played seven more games since then, and have not been lucky.
In those games, they saw their long unbeaten home run come to an end, while also matching a bad run from 2021. The team from Anyinase have lost three and drawn four of their last games. The last time they went seven games without a victory was in November 2021.
They were said to be in financial trouble after their owner, Senator David Brigidi, passed away in 2018. A takeover by politician Haruna Idrissu, on the other hand, does not appear to have yielded immediate results, as Karela slip into the relegation zone. After finishing fourth last season, the team now have 13 points after 12 games and are the second-lowest-scoring side with seven goals, trailing only the Kotoku Royals.