Hearts of Oak v Asante Kotoko is the biggest match on the Ghanaian football calendar for every season.  Nicknamed "Super Clash," it is a battle that encompasses all the flair, daring, skill, enmity, sporting and social significance that can possibly be bottled into a 90-minute footballing fixture. On Sunday these two sides will meet for the first time this season at the Accra Sports Stadium. Joy Sports’ Owuraku Ampofo and Bill Eshun preview the spectacle having spent ample time following the two giants. Owuraku has been based in Accra keeping tabs on the Phobians whereas Bill has been monitoring the Porcupine Warriors. ROAD TO THE CLASH Hearts of Oak Hearts of Oak come into this clash on the back of an inspiring 2-1 victory against Liberty Professionals. That win has laid the marker on what has been a good start for caretaker boss Edward Nii Odoom. Hearts who lost their first two games against Berekum Chelsea and Medeama have bounced back with wins against Ebusua Dwarfs and Liberty and a draw against WAFA at Sogakope. The Super Clash couldn’t have come at a better time for the Phobians who are in good form and full of confidence. Asante Kotoko Asante Kotoko are going into the tie on the back of a crucial win against Ebusua Dwarfs at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. The Porcupines started their season on a high with a 1-0 win over Eleven Wonders and an admirable 3-1 comeback victory over Legon Cities in Accra. Their campaign however went downhill shortly after. The Kumasi based side lost 1-0 to Berekum Chelsea at home and surrendered all three points to Medeama (1-0) in Tarkwa. Maxwell Konadu’s side have now amassed nine points in five games so far in the Ghana Premier League. They are four points off the top of the table and a win against their arch-rivals Hearts of Oak will send them on their way to a league title for the first time since 2014. MANAGERS Edward Nii Odoom After Kim Grant’s sack, Nii Odoom was promoted from assistant coach to interim boss as Hearts looked to quickly turn their fortunes around after a shock 1-0 defeat to Berekum Chelsea on matchday 1. So far, it has been a learning curve for Odoom who went through a baptism of fire at Tarkwa against Medeama in his first game in charge losing 3-0. After a horrifying start to life as Hearts coach, Odoom has steadied the ship in recent games winning two and drawing one. However, a quick glance at the Premier League table will show that the Phobians still have a long way to go as they currently sit ninth and are six points off the top of the league. Kim Grant lost the heart of the fans when his side lost against Kotoko in the President’s Cup a week before the season started. The objective is always the same when Hearts renew their rivalry with Kotoko and Nii Odoom will be given no grace period as he heads into his second Super Clash. He won the first 1-0 courtesy of Patrick Razak strike in 2018.  Maxwell Konadu’s trump card is his in-game management and Odoom will have to counter that and outsmart the Former Black Stars B coach if Hearts of Oak are to stand any chance. Maxwell Konadu Maxwell Konadu has experienced a stop start so far this season, the opposite of what he experienced with his side in 2012. Kotoko had amassed 11 points in the 2011/12 season in their opening five games and were unbeaten (W3 D2). In this season however, the Porcupine have already lost two games (W3 L2). The former Black Stars B coach had only lost thrice during the entirety of the 2011/12 campaign and reaching the heights he set 8 years ago looks like a herculian task as at now. The upcoming game against Hearts provides the perfect opportunity to silence his critics. Maxwell Konadu can boast of a good record against the Phobians. He is unbeaten against the Accra based side in two games (1W 1D) and would aim to maintain that on Sunday. MANAGER QUOTES After a dramatic comeback against Liberty at the Carl Reindorf Park, Odoom was quick to point out how his team were mentally shaping up. “We are a work in progress at the moment and the players are showing determination, good character and the will to win,” he said. "In terms of the tactics we used to win today’s match, we went with something similar to what we did at WAFA. We defended deeply but we decided to edge a counter-attacking threat to us and on play on the break.” A win against Kotoko may bolster Odoom’s chances of securing the permanent role of Hearts of Oak head coach. He believes the players are beginning to understand his methods. ”Since the Sogakope match [0-0 against WAFA] things have changed a bit. They have understood what we want and they are playing to what I have told them to do. We are going the same way. We are not stepping back.” Odoom told TV3. “It’s all about hard work because Hearts of Oak is a big brand and we must also do our things right to get to where everyone wants Hearts of Oak to be.” “My boys are playing fantastic football and they have understood the concept.” After Kotoko’s fairly comfortable 2-0 victory over the Mysterious Dwarfs, manager Maxwell Konadu stated that he and his men are ready to face the Phobians. "Kotoko is always ready for Hearts of Oak encounters. I believe they are always ready for us. You know matches between the two sides is a high profile game and nobody is going to relax. I know they are preparing very well and have one eye on this game." "It's going to be an interesting game anyway. We have one eye over there. The El Classico is on, let's wait and see what happens on Sunday." FANS EXPECTATIONS It is the wish of every Hearts of Oak fan to get the victory over rivals Kotoko and on Sunday, it’ll be no different especially after their good recent form. Chairman of the National Chapters Committee (NCC), Mr Elvis Herman Hesse has disclosed that Hearts of Oak is mobilizing about 20,000 supporters to fill the Accra Sports Stadium when they welcome Asante Kotoko. In an interview on Happy FM, he revealed the plans put in place by the Supporters group ahead of the game on Sunday. “We are mobilizing supporters to fill the Accra Sports Stadium. It will be more than what we saw at the Carl Reindorf Park on Sunday.” “We are talking to our fans in Kumasi and other regions to mobilize fans across the country. Our target is to fill the stadium even before the Kotoko supporters arrive. On Sunday our numbers will be more than 20,000 and we will dominate”, he added. Whether Hearts fans are in the stadium or watch the match on television or even listen to commentary in a vehicle, the hope and belief will be that the Porcupine Warriors will be defeated in this battle. The fans expect a repeat of the 2019 President’s Cup match where Kotoko managed a 2-1 victory. Augustine Opare, the Asante Kotoko fan who unfortunately lost an eye during the clash between police officials and fans after the Berekum Chelsea game has asked Maxwell Konadu and his men to deal with Hearts of Oak on Sunday. TEAM NEWS Hearts of Oak Kojo Obeng will miss the game due to injury but apart from that, Coach Odoom has the full complement of his squad to choose from. It is likely that Odoom will deploy a 4-3-3 formation to allow his team to stamp their authority in the middle of the park. Manaf who didn’t feature against Liberty is expected to replace the injured Obeng in the lineup. Expected Starting XI: Richard Atta, Fatawu Mohammed, Robert Sowah, Raddy Ovouka, Benjamin Afutu, Mohammed Alhassan, Frederick Botchway, Emmanuel Nettey, Manaf Umar, Joseph Esso, Kofi Kordzi Asante Kotoko Collins Ameyaw and Mudasiru Salifu returned to full training on Monday ahead of the Hearts of Oak clash. The midfield duo were Maxwell Konadu’s preferred choices but suffered injuries during the team’s loss against Berekum Chelsea. Imoro Ibrahim is also back from his one-game suspension. Expected Starting XI: Felix Annan, Emmanuel Badu, Imoro Ibrahim, Christopher Nettey, Empem Dacoster, Collins Ameyaw, Mudasiru Salifu, Justice Blay, Naby Keita, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Songne Yacouba HEAD TO HEAD Since 2006, the two teams have met 23 times in the league. Hearts have been more superior with 10 wins while Kotoko have won six. On seven occasions, the match has ended in stalemates. For only matches played in Accra since 2006, Kotoko have won five, Hearts have four wins and two have ended in draws. MATCH PREDICTION Owuraku Ampofo Hearts of Oak 1-1 Asante Kotoko Kotoko have the upper hand when it comes to playing at Accra. Despite the quality of Kotoko, the confidence in the camp of Hearts is high and I see both teams canceling each other out. Bill Eshun Hearts of Oak 1-2 Asante Kotoko Asante Kotoko managed to defeat Hearts in the NC Special Competition final and the Presidents Cup in just one year. The Porcupine Warriors should take this one fairly easily. --