Hearts of Oak have suffered a demoralizing 2-3 defeat at the hands of their fiercest rivals, Asante Kotoko, in the super clash of the Ghana Premier League 2023–24.
A brace for Ugandan striker Steven Dese Mukwala and a goal from the ever-impressive Isaac Oppong ensured Asante Kotoko completed one of the best comebacks we have witnessed so far in the season.
Linda Mtangue eventually found the back of the net for Hearts of Oak in the 37th minute, following an array of attacks since the whistle blew for kick-off. Salifu Ibrahim sent in a delicious cross from a free kick into the penalty box, which found the head of the Congolese, who headed home beautifully for Hearts.
However, the damage had already been done when Steven Mukwala grabbed his brace. He gave Kotoko the lead in the 56th minute in what seemed to be illegal, as replays showed there was an offside in the build-up to his goal.
He doubled his tally when he chased a back pass from Assibey to his goalkeeper, Richmond Ayi, who clearly reacted late to clear the ball before losing it to the Ugandan, who made no mistake to put Kotoko in a comfortable lead.
Martin Karikari scored from the edge of the box after he received a pass from Ampadu to make the score line appear more respectable for the Phobians after being outsmarted by their opponents in the second half.
Asante Kotoko have now opened a six-point gap between themselves and Hearts of Oak, as both teams lie 7th and 9th, respectively, on the league table.
