Match Report: Dreams FC 0-1 Asante Kotoko as it happened, Ghana Premier League 2020/2021
Asante Kotoko bounced back to beat Dreams FC in Dawu as the Ghana Premier League steer preparations to face Sudanese giants Al Hilal in Caf Champions League.
The record Ghana Premier League holders were shocked with a 1-0 defeat in hands of Great Olympics in Accra Sports Stadium last Thursday and traveled to Dawu in light with the loss’ aftermath problems.
Boss Maxwell Konadu was fired just 24 hours after Olympics loss and while handing over the managerial duty to Johnson Smith on the interim, Kotoko’s chances were primarily slimmer.
Having shown a some whatever clear understanding of the setup, Smith named larger size of Maxwell Konadu’s starting lineup where the likes of Christopher Nettey, Imoro Ibrahim, Adom Frimpong, Latif Anabila, Emmanuel Gyamfi and Kwame Opoku were called into action.
However, three changes were made to the XI that succumbed in the outstanding clash with Olympics.
Black Stars shot-stopper Razak Abelora made his Kotoko debut and marks his return to the Ghana Premier League after 3 years when he helped West African Football Academy (WAFA) to place 2nd in the 2016-2017 Ghana Premier League before joining Tanzania side Azam FC at the end of the season.
Wahab Adams replaced Abdul Ganiyu along with Habib Mohammed as Kotoko’s central defense suffered the third different pair in the season after Abdul Ganiyu/Yussif Mubarik, and Ganiyu/Habib Mohammed.
Left-back Patrick Asmah was deployed in more advanced position, replacing Godfred Asiamah on the left midfield as Kotoko lined in a 4-4-2 system.
Though Kotoko have saw a shift from a traditional 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 since club’s Ghana Premier League Match-Day 2 but the Porcupine Warriors players seemed to struggled within in the later system under Maxwell Konadu
However, despite Johnson Smith maintaining the 4-4-2 formation against Dreams FC, there was a bit of relief for the players, with all players playing a big part in Kotoko ending the game 1-0 up in Dawu.
To begin it all was Razak Abelora who pulled a string of fascinating saves to deny Dreams FC the opener in early first half.
Kotoko looked sparked on cause for a season’s second Ghana Premier League victory that’s, telling from the way and manner they were played especially in the first half, controlling it beautifully from the back and the new breed of energy in final-third.
However, there was little act of defending from Dreams FC against Kotoko’s early momentum in a bid to prevent the Kumasi based side from grabbing the first goal.
Dreams skipped, launch an attack and nearly shock Kotoko with the opener when Maxwell Arthur’s decent cross from the right flank found unmarked Emmanuel Ocran inside the box. The Dreams forward struck a low shot but Abelora block with legs.
Dreams’ resistance to conceed lasted only for 19’ minutes when Kotoko took the lead the next minutes. Left-back Ibrahim Imoro read in between the lines and got the better of Dreams defense and acrobatically struck accurately from the left edge into the far posts.
Imoro Ibrahim was the man to receive immediate glory but much thank you must go William Opoku Mensah and Kwame Opoku whose combined effort caused Dreams that only goal of the game.
Opoku Mensah crossed the ball from the right edge and Kwame Opoku hit acrobatically but the ball was saved by Dreams FC shot-stopper where the rebound was neatly converted by Imoro Ibrahim.
Kwame Opoku doubled Kotoko’s lead few minutes later but was ruled offside as Kotoko run completed the game with a 1-0 win over Dreams FC.
Porcupine Warrior’s victory today hands Dreams FC their 4th loss in all six meetings with Asante Kotoko with Dreams winning only once that was back in 2018.
Their just one victory in 6 Ghana Premier League games this season so far continue to count after being hammered 3-0 by Hearts of Oak and 1-0 by Kotoko a week later
Asante Kotoko have 7 points now and their major hurdle comes this Wednesday when the welcome Al Hilal to the Aliu Mahama Stadium for first leg tie of second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League with a good score line set ahead.
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