Etouga brilliance inspires Asante Kotoko victory over Accra Lions in Ghana Premier League
The Cameroonian forward was in fine form to inspire the Porcupine Warriors to victory.
Cameroonian striker Franck Mbella Etouga was the hero of the day as Asante Kotoko beat Accra Lions 3-1 to bounce back to winning ways in the Ghana Premier League on Saturday.
The 20-year-old underlined his sharpness with a hat-trick to ensure three points for the Porcupine Warriors in the matchday 17 fixture at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
Kelvin Kyei fetched the opposition’s consolation goal.
The home victory, following a shocking 2-1 away loss to bottom-placed Elmina Sharks, saw the hosts consolidate their place at the top of the league table, now sitting six points ahead of second-spotted Benchem United.
It was a timely win for a confidence boost as Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side head into next week’s big clash with archrivals Hearts of Oak.
Lions, on the other hand, hold the 14th position, two places above the relegation zone.
Etouga, who similarly recorded a hat-trick in a 3-1 matchday 12 win over Ashanti Gold, has now reached 11 goals in what is his first season with the Ghanaian giants.
The forward opened the scoring against Lions in just the fifth minute, firing a left-footed shot from inside the box past goalkeeper Fredrick Asare.
On the stroke of half-time, the hosts were presented with another opportunity to double their lead when referee George Mawuli Vormawor pointed to the spot for a foul on Etouga inside the box.
The Cameroonian, who missed a penalty in their last match, once again picked himself for the kick, and this time around made no mistake as he buried the ball into the net from 12 yards.
There was even more drama at the depth of the first half as Lions were awarded a penalty of their own in stoppage time.
Face-to-face with goalkeeper Ibrahim Danlad, Kyei expertly put the ball in the back of the net, giving his side a glimmer of hope heading into the interval.
In the second half, both teams kept things tight at the back, keeping each other at bay until seven minutes to full-time when Mbella struck again to make it 3-1.
While Kotoko will look to make it two wins on the bounce on matchday 18 against Hearts, Lions will be eyeing a winning comeback against Sharks in their next game.
