This weekend, the Ghana Premier League enters matchday 9 with games to be played across the country.

After the midweek clash with AshantiGold, Hearts of Oak will travel to Dormaa to face Aduana Stars in the biggest match of the matchday. 

Kotoko will hope to end their two games winless run when they face Dreams FC in Dawu. 

Elsewhere, King Faisal will host WAFA at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium while Inter Allies battle Legon Cities in Accra.

Below is a preview of all nine games

King Faisal v WAFA – Kumasi

King Faisal have experienced a terrible start to their season. The Insha Allah boys have lost five and drawn three in eight games making them the only team without a win in the competition so far. They are rock bottom on the league table with three points and 19 goals conceded, the worst this campaign.

They have however shown some promise on the offensive end, scoring 11 goals, a higher goal tally than nine of the top ten teams in the league so far. The Kumasi-based side’s objective now is to record their first three points of the season against WAFA.

WAFA poses a huge problem to teams away from home. They are unbeaten on the road since the start of the season (2W 2D). The Academy boys are also on the top half of the log (seventh) with 13 points. They are a tough nut to crack having shipped in three goals, the joint second-best defensive record in the competition.

Their forward line breeds concern however with six goals scored, averaging under one goal per game. They will aim to grab another positive result on their trip to Kumasi.

The two teams will go head-to-head for the first time in the league.

Prediction: King Faisal 1-2 WAFA

WAFA have been fantastic away from home and should take this one fairly easily.

Inter Allies v Legon Cities – Accra

Inter Allies are showing signs of rejuvenation. After winning just one of their six opening games, the Capelli boys have found their groove with back-to-back wins against King Faisal and Eleven Wonders. They have moved up to 11^th place as a result.

Inter Allies have not been lacking in goals, scoring 13 since the start of the season but their defence has produced some worrying numbers. They have conceded 14, the joint second-worst tally in the division. They will aim to avoid more goals and get a good result against Legon Cities.

Legon Cities come into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Elmina Sharks. Their story, however, have been a curious one. The Royals went five games without a win before clinching their first over Bechem United.

Goran Barjaktarevic’s side have now earned two victories so far and are in 13^th place with nine points. They have conceded 10 goals this season whilst scoring half the number, a worrying statistic for their coach. They will aim to get another victory as prepare for a battle with Inter Allies.

In their nine previous clashes, Legon Cities have won four and lost the same number of games (W4 D1 L4).

Prediction: Inter Allies 1-0 Legon Cities

The two teams will face off on a ground they both call theirs, the Accra Sports Stadium. It will be a tightly contested affair but Inter Allies have more bite in attack.

Aduana Stars v Hearts of Oak – Dormaa

Aduana Stars have been one of the best sides in the league this season. The Ogya boys have amassed 16 points and are one place behind table-toppers Berekum Chelsea in the rankings. They also have one of the deadliest attacks in the league so far.

The Dormaa-based club have scored 12 goals in eight matches, the second-highest in the competition. In their last four matches, Aduana have won two and lost one (W2 D1 L1). They will aim to make it three wins in five as they prepare for a showdown with Hearts of Oak at home.

Hearts of Oak have shown improvement since their back-to-back losses at the start of the campaign. The Phobians have won two of their last four including an admirable 1-0 away win over Dreams FC in Dawu.

The Accra-based side were held to a 0-0 draw by AshantiGold on matchday 8 but their performance was a good one. Edward Nii Odoom’s side are currently in 9^th place with 11 points. They will aim to spoil the Aduana party in Dormaa.

Aduana Stars have been the better side in their last five encounters, winning two and drawing three. Hearts have a daunting task of beating their upcoming opponents in the league for the first time since 25^th February 2015.

Prediction: Aduana Stars 0-0 Hearts of Oak

Hearts of Oak have been impressive away from home and Aduana poses a challenge in Dormaa. It will be difficult to separate the two teams.

AshantiGold v Liberty Professionals – Obuasi

AshantiGold are experiencing a downturn in form. The Miners have only won once in their last five games after winning their opening three games of the season. The Obuasi-based side are however in the top four with 14 points in total, just three points away from the top of the table.

They also possess the meanest defence in the league, conceding just two goals in eight matches. Their goal tally, however, needs some improvement. AshantiGold have scored just seven times during this period, the joint-worst among the current top six.

Liberty Professionals have not been extraordinary since the start of the season. The Scientific Soccer Lads have earned 10 points and are in 10^th place after eight matches. David Ocloo’s side need a huge boost in their next game after recording just one win in their last four matches.

The Dansoman-based side are not lacking in goals with 10 scored so far but they have shipped in just as much signalling the need for some work in defence. They will hope to cause an upset at the Len Clay Sports Stadium on Sunday.

The two teams have been pretty even in their last six meetings. AshantiGold have won three of them and so have Liberty Professionals. The Scientific Soccer Lads have however failed to beat AshantiGold at the Len Clay Sports Stadium in nine years. They will hope to break the curse.

Prediction: AshantiGold 1-0 Liberty Professionals

The Miners have the home advantage and will likely clinch the victory over their upcoming opponents.

Bechem United v Ebusua Dwarfs – Bechem

Bechem United will be eager for redemption after falling to a late 1-0 defeat to Medeama at the Akoon Park. The Hunters have been on a roller coaster in their last four league games, winning twice and losing the same number. They are however on the top half of the table (8^th) with 13 points.

Bechem have scored just over one goal per game (9 goals) and conceded two less (7), the second-highest number conceded by a top-half side so far. Kwaku Danso’s men will aim to brush aside Ebusua Dwarfs on Sunday.

Ebusua Dwarfs produced a fantastic performance in the previous game week, beating Aduana Stars 3-1 at home. They, however, need more of these going forward as they still remain in the relegation zone (17^th) with just six points.

The signs have however been encouraging. The Mysterious Dwarfs have won two of their last three games. They will aim to orchestrate another upset as they prepare for a battle with Bechem United.

The two teams are on par in their last nine meetings. Bechem have won three and Dwarfs have won the same number (W3 D3 L3).

Prediction: Bechem United 2-0 Ebusua Dwarfs

Bechem United have been great at home and Ebusua Dwarfs will find it hard to stop them.

Dreams FC v Asante Kotoko – Dawu

On matchday 8, Dreams FC brought an end to a two-game losing streak by beating Liberty Professionals 2-1 at the Theatre of Dreams. The result moved them up to 6^th place with 13 points. They have conceded six goals so far, the joint-worst number conceded among the top six.

The Still Believe boys have also scored just over a goal per game (9 goals) which signifies more room for improvement. They will hope to get one over Asante Kotoko as they prepare to welcome the Porcupine Warriors on Sunday.

Asante Kotoko have been unbeaten in four games and have entered the conversation once again as favourites for the league title. The Kumasi-based side have earned 14 points so far and are currently in fifth place.

The Porcupine Warriors have scored nine goals in eight games, the third-highest among the top six sides. They have also conceded five goals, the third-worst number among the elite six. Maxwell Konadu’s side will aim for their third victory in five games as they make a trip to Dawu.

In their last meeting in Dawu, Dreams came away with a 1-0 victory. Kotoko had won two games prior.

Prediction: Dreams 0-0 Asante Kotoko

It will be difficult for the two sides to find a way in this one. 

Elmina Sharks v Berekum Chelsea – Elmina

Elmina Sharks have been without a win in their last four matches and their 1-0 defeat to Legon Cities on matchday 8 shows that they need inspiration. The Elmina-based outfit have earned eight points in eight games (1 point per game).

Yaw Acheampong’s side have scored just under a goal per game (7 goals) and conceded over a goal per game (9 goals) bringing to light their deficiencies in both the offensive end and defensive end. They will hope to earn their second win of the season as they host league leaders Berekum Chelsea.

Berekum Chelsea have been arguably the best side in the league so far. They are at the summit of the table with 17 points and have only lost once since the competition began (5W 2D 1L). The Blues possesses the joint second-best defence in the league with just three goals conceded.

Asare Bediako’s side have however scored just seven goals so far, sparking concerns over the potency of their finishing. They will look to improve that aspect as they make the trip to face Elmina Sharks on matchday 9.

In three meetings, Elmina Sharks have come away with one win (1W 1D 1L). The two teams shared the spoils in their previous encounter (1-1).

Prediction: Elmina Sharks 0-1 Berekum Chelsea

The Blues have been impressive away from home and will likely to grab their fourth win on the road this weekend.

Great Olympics v Eleven Wonders – Accra

Great Olympics are finding their rhythm after a poor start to the campaign. The Oly Dade boys lost their opening three games of the season but have been great since then, winning three of their last five league games.

They came from behind to record a 4-3 win over King Faisal on matchday 8. The Accra-based side are now 12^th in the league with 10 points. They have averaged a goal per game and over a goal conceded per game (10 goals), showing that there is still work to be done. They will hope to record another victory as they welcome Eleven Wonders to the Accra Sports Stadium.

Eleven Wonders have been struggling overall. The Sure Wonders are in the relegation zone (16^th) with seven points. They may have conceded the lowest number of goals among the bottom three (9) but have the worst goal tally in the league with four goals scored.

The misery does not end there. The Techiman-based side are yet to record an away win so far this season and will need a big performance to get one this weekend.

The two teams will face off for the first time this Sunday.

Prediction: Great Olympics 2-0 Eleven Wonders

Great Olympics are on a high and should be able to brush Eleven Wonders aside.

Karela United v Medeama SC – Tarkwa

Karela have been underwhelming so far this season. The Ayinase-based club have earned just eight points from eight games and their current form have been poor, losing three of their last five Ghana Premier League matches.

They have scored just under a goal per game so far (7) and conceded over a goal per game (9), showing that they have problems all over the pitch. Karela now sit just above the relegation zone (15^th) and will aim for a victory against Medeama.

Medeama have been fantastic since the start of the campaign. The Mauve and Yellows are in 3^rd place with 16 points with 10 goals scored so far, the second-highest tally among the top half of the table.

They have also conceded four times, the third-best record among the current top-six sides. Medeama recorded a last gasp win over Bechem United during the midweek and will aim to clinch another victory in their upcoming match.

The last time Karela and Medeama met was in 2018 and Medeama earned a 1-0 victory.

Prediction: Karela 1-1 Medeama

Karela have been strong at home recently but Medeama poses a big problem. The two teams will likely share the spoils.