https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghpl-5-things-we-learned-from-matchday-2/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghpl-5-things-we-learned-from-matchday-2/
It was a weekend that saw Kotoko preserve their firm grip as title contenders while Hearts of Oak’s woes continued in Tarkwa.  Kotoko secured a big 3-1 victory in Accra against Legon Cities FC. But Hearts were at the receiving end of a 3-0 thrashing against Medeama.  AshantiGold finally got things right on their 14th try while WAFA, Aduana, and Dreams continued their impressive start. Here are five things we learned from an intriguing weekend in the top-flight;

Legon Cities FC bring back the love

The most attended game of matchday two saw a perfect combination of fan engagement, entertainment and good football.

A Friday kick-off was unusual but the unfamiliarity coupled with the intense marketing strategy of Legon Cities provided a sense of mystery that got fans interested in the game.

Kotoko demonstrated their class winning 3-1 despite going a goal behind but Shatta Wale’s performance at half time stole the headlines.

The post-mortem of match propelled into the social media space leading trends on Twitter the entire night.

Hearts of Oak sinking

A poor result against Berekum Chelsea in matchday one sparked a chain reaction which saw Kim Grant sacked and assistant coach Nii Odoom become the interim coach.

Odoom’s tenure started on the worst possible note, with a 3-0 demolition against Medeama that leaves Hearts one spot above the relegation zone.

Hearts of Oak were poor defensively but once again, their attacking blandness was highlighted as the Phobians failed to register a single shot on target in Tarkwa. 

All hope is not lost for Odoom’s men as the last time they lost their first two opening games in the Ghana Premier League in 2009/10 season they ended up in third place on the league.

Olympics not playing like relegation candidates

Before a kick of a ball this season, Accra Great Olympics were tipped to be relegation candidates by most pundits and fans probably due to their track record in the Ghana Premier League.

Olympics have not recorded a point in their opening two games of the new Ghana Premier League this season - their worst start since 2000.

Yet, it is still early days and fans of the Accra based club can take some succour in how well the team played against Aduana Stars.

Oly Dade dominated the possession in the second half and created the best chances in the game as Emmanuel Clottey went closest with his effort hitting the post.

Prince George Koffie knows he has a good partnership in Awako and Clottey and once the goals trickle in, Olympics will be a force to be reckoned with.

Ashanti Gold break curse against King Faisal

Four time Ghana Premier League champions AshGold faced perhaps the one team they dreaded the most in matchday two.

Despite the comprehensive disparity between the quality of AshGold and King Faisal, this fixture has always been a tough nut to crack for the Miners, especially on the road.

Prior to the Ashanti Derby on Sunday, AshGold had failed to win away against King Faisal in their last 13 attempts.

However, Mubarik Yussif’s free-kick goal was enough to give AshGold a long-awaited win against their regional rivals.

Dreams FC, possible wildcard title challengers

Dreams FC sealed promotion to the Ghana Premier League in 2015/16 for the first time in their history.

It has been a steady progress since and this could be their season with striker Emmanuel Ocran in good form.

Dreams can draw inspiration from Aduana Stars who won the title on their first attempt in 2009/10.

Historically, majority of the points Dreams pick up are from their home at Dawu, though their achilles heel has always been their poor away run.

Karim Zito’s men had gone three straight games without a win away from home since April 2018, before winning on the road against Eleven Wonders on Sunday.

A few more away wins and Dreams could possibly challenge for the title.

 

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.