Legon Cities FC and Accra Hearts of Oak will battle for Supremacy in their Match Day 18 Premier League encounter at the El wak stadium on Saturday. Legon Cities ended the first half of the season on a high following a 1-0 win against King Faisal to move out of the Relegation Zone.
Cities have improved in recent matches – having lost only once in their last six League games (drawn two, won three, and lost one). But their inconsistent run is a call for concern for Coach Maxwell Konadu.
The Royals have bagged 21 points and sit in 12th place – and would want to win to improve their position in the league standings. Maxwell Konadu’s side has failed to impress this season, especially at home after recording only two wins in their last eight matches where they have lost four and drawn two.
Jonah Attuquaye powered them to a vital win against King Faisal on Match Day 17 – bringing to an end a five-match winless run. The former Berekum Chelsea talisman has been very influential in their setup since joining last season as one of their marquee signings.
Goalkeeper Eric Ofori Antwi who claimed the Man of the Match award in the first round of the season is back from .injury and expected to man the post on Saturday.
Legon Cities won 5, drew 6, and lost 6 in the first round of the season and will place a premium on beating Hearts of Oak to climb up the table.
Accra Hearts of Oak trail their arch-rivals Asante Kotoko by 12 points and sit 6 places below their bitterest rivals in the League log. But hold a 4 point lead against their host going into the match. With four wins, three draws, and three defeats in their last nine Premier League matches, Accra Hearts of Oak are under some intense pressure to get their season back on track with a win.
The Phobians go into the game without one of their stalwarts, Gladson Awako due to suspension. The former Great Olympics player is unavailable after picking up a yellow card on Sunday. His absence means Sulley Muntari will play a key role in the match against Legon Cities as he continues to impact positively on the team – having made three appearances since he signed.
The former Inter Milan man came on as a second-half substitute against Great Olympics before featuring for about 75 minutes against Real Tamale United on Match Day 17 but none of those games ended in a win as Hearts lost to Olympics and drew goalless with RTU.
He was specular against Asante Kotoko but made way for Frederick Ansah Botchwey in the second half. Dennis Korsah – wowed the crowd on Sunday after putting up a near-perfect performance that won him the Man of the Match award.
The Phobians have lost one (1-0 to Great Olympics), drawn two (0-0 against Bechem United, Asante Kotoko), and won four (Accra Lions, Berekum Chelsea, Eleven Wonders, and King Faisal) in their last seven matches in Accra.
Their leading scorer Kofi Kordzie (7 goals), fired blank against Asante Kotoko as he made a second-half appearance in place of Daniel Afriyie Barnieh. But they have found other sources of goals from Barnieh, Sewornu, and Kojo Obeng Jnr.
The Accra city derby is billed for the El Wak Stadium on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
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