GOLD STARS VS HEARTS OF OAK
The Dun’s Park will play host to Gold Star and league champions Hearts of Oak. Gold Star lost their game week 11 match against King Faisal. They will be hoping to make amends as they take on Hearts of Oak who seem not to be in a good place, considering all the seeming chaos surrounding the team. The team’s home performances have been superb, managing some important wins against tough oppositions.
Heart of Oak are slowly picking up form and moving up the league table, with a couple of games in hand, Hearts have the chance to catch up with the leaders of the league. Considering where they came from to win the league last season, no one will write them off just yet. The management of the team will have to settle the issues surrounding the team quickly to avert any negative effect on the playing body. This will be a match rival teams will have an eye on.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Duns Park, Bibiani | ||
| Date and Time | Saturday January 8, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Gold Stars: LWLLW | Hearts of Oak: DWDWW | |
| Position | 12th (13 pts) | 9th (14 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 1-1
ELEVEN WONDERS VS KING FAISAL
Eleven Wonders, who are currently second from bottom in the league table, will be relieved to be back at home after two away games. They lost two away games in a row to Great Olympics and Karela United. A fixture at home against King Faisal will bring some joy, but this happiness is likely to vanish into thin air after 90 minutes. It’s usually difficult for the Techiman-based team to compete against the league’s big boys. With a resurgent King Faisal team in second place in the league, only a spectacular effort may save them a point in this match.
Is this the year that Alahji Gruzah becomes the happiest man in Ghana Football? After 11 matches, 23 points recorded, 7 matches won, 15 goals scored, things are looking exciting for the “In Sha Allah” team. King Faisal’s last away match didn’t bring the expected results. But after bouncing back with a victory over Bibiani Gold Stars on Match Day 11, they will be hungry for all three points in their next fixture. With chance to open a gap with the chasing pack, Samuel Kwarteng and Latif Salifu will be primed and ready to bury any chances that presents itself to bury the demons of last season, where they lost this fixture by a slender goal.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Ohene Ameyaw Park, Techiman | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Eleven Wonders: LLWLD | King Faisal: WLWDW | |
| Position | 17th (9 pts) | 2nd (23 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 1-2
BECHEM UNITED VS RTU
Bechem United are in fine form this season with some interesting and surprising results. They won at home against Medeama, Dreams and the wonder of the season, King Faisal. They also drew against Karela in Ayinase and against Hearts of Oak in Accra. The hunters sit 5th on the table, with just 1 point behind Medeama, who are fourth. They also a point ahead of Great Olympics. More work needs to be done on the attack by coach Mingle, as proven by their game against Hearts of Oak. Chance conversion has been their bane and that should be of great concern to the technical handlers. With sharp attacking midfielders and wingers, all they need is to convert their chances.
RTU on the other hand is enjoying a good season in the league. They are the topmost team among the three promoted sides. Nevertheless, there has been a lot of inconsistencies in their run of play. The home grounds for RTU, the Tamale Sports Stadium which used to be a Lion’s Den for most traveling teams some years ago, now seems to look comfortable for visitors. In addition to their poor run of home matches, RTU has won only one of their away fixtures this season. They will still miss the services of their talisman and captain, David Abagna, who is with the national team ahead of the AFCON in Cameroun.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park, Bechem | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Bechem United: DWDWL | RTU: DLWDL | |
| Position | 5th (18 pts) | 8th (15 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 1-1
DREAMS FC VS LEGON CITIES
Dawu-based Dreams FC have registered two consecutive 2-2 drawn games against the defending champions, Hearts of Oak, and Tamale based RTU. Under the circumstances, they would consider themselves as having earned two difficult points, rather than throwing away four. They would not have Philemon Baffour in their ranks, as he’s been called up for national duty at the AFCON , as well as young prodigy, Abdul Fataw Issahaku, who is fast becoming a regular on the tongues of the lovers of the local game.
Legon Cities have been quite abysmal in their output this season. With just 4 points from a possible 15, the Accra-based side have plummeted into 16th position on the league table. The only team they have recorded a win against, in their past 5 games is the lowly Elmina Sharks who have their own set of problems. Further decline will not augur well for the technical team led by Coach Maxwell Konadu, who will be in Cameroun with the Black Stars.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Dawu Sports Stadium, Dawu | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Dreams: DDLWD | Legon Cities: LWLLD | |
| Position | 7th (16 pts) | 16th (10 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 2-1
ELMINA SHARKS VS ADUANA STARS
Coach Yahaya of Elmina Sharks needs a miracle in matchday 12 to redeem his image as far as the league is concerned. He has some unpleasant statistics under his sleeves. He has lost his last 5 games, conceded 8 goals and scored nothing. His defeat to WAFA in Sogakope puts more pressure on the Elmina-based club to deliver at home against a tough Aduana side. The last-placed team on the league log will have a difficult job vs their visitors.
Aduana Stars are on a different level this season and currently sit third on the table. They have also picked some fantastic results this season, including a draw against defending champions, Hearts of Oak, away in Accra. As well as victories against Olympics and Ashgold. Aduana will want to get back to winning ways after the defeat to Kotoko last week. Coach Asare Bediako has a lot of quality on the field of play to do the job for the Dormaa side. A convincing victory and a clean sheet will be required from the Ogya boys.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom Sports Stadium, Elmina | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Elmina Sharks: LLLLL | Aduana Stars: LLWWW | |
| Position | 18th (7 pts) | 3rd (20 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 0-2
KOTOKO VS ASHGOLD
In another cracker of the Ashanti Derby, red-eyed Kumasi Asante Kotoko welcome their regional rivals, Ashgold to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. Kotoko are top of the table, after their first time win at Dormaa, against Aduana Stars. This has given them a jab of confidence in their campaign and an encounter against Ashgold on the cards is one they will relish. To their benefit, influential captain Ismail Abdul Ganiu was not selected to be part of the Black Stars team in Cameroun for the AFCON tournament, to the benefit of the tactical plans of Coach Prosper Narteh-Ogum.
Ashgold have been struggling, after consecutive losses to Medeama and Berekum Chelsea, and a draw at home against Great Olympics. Finding their feet in this season’s campaign is proving to be a hurdle. That poor run of form has left them in 14th place on the table. Against Kotoko away, there will not be a more daunting tasks. Their only advantage will be the expectation of their status of underdogs in this match. Springing a surprise against a team like Kotoko can bolster their efforts to turn their season around.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Kotoko: WWWDL | Ashgold: LLDLW | |
| Position | 1st (23 pts) | 14th (12 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 2-0
OLYMPICS VS KARELA
Accra Great Olympics will return to their home grounds to take on Karela united in a game week 12 matchup. They earned a precious point away from home following their goalless draw against Berekum Chelsea. They will be without their star striker, Maxwell Quaye who has been included in the AFCON Squad for the Black Stars.
Karela United will be riding on high hopes after putting up a stellar performance in their match against Eleven Wonders. Karela are in need of a good run of performances this season. Their away form has not been the best and a couple of solid away performances will see them rise to the expectation placed on them before the start of the season.
The two teams played out a goalless draw in their first encounter of the 2020/2021 season, a result neither teams would want to repeat this season.
| MATCH INFO | |||
| Venue | Accra Sports Stadium, Accra | ||
| Date and Time | Sunday January 9, 2022 3:00pm | ||
| Form | Olympics: DWDWL | Karela United: WLDLW | |
| Position | 6th (17 pts) | 11th (13 pts) | |
PREDICTION: 2-1
Follow our writers on Twitter:
@kowsackey
@racquaye
@kwakusolomongh
@kwesi_lazintus
@ON_desmond
@EAuthenticpro
