JUST A FEW MORE HOURS …
When Form Guide Goes Haywire
It’s that time of the Ghanaian Premier League season again, when the stage is set for yet another epic showdown in what is, arguably, one of the biggest football rivalries in Africa, and certainly, by a long mile, the fiercest and most contentious matchup in Ghana.
If football is Ghana’s favourite game, a fixture featuring Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak is the cherry on top of the icing on the cake … yes, it doesn’t come any bigger than a Superclash between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium!
That there is no love lost between the Porcupine Warriors and the Phobians is a narrative with historic antecedents, which came to an infamous head in the spectre of the May 9th disaster. Their storied rivalry never fails to instigate, build and gather a relentless momentum that never lets up, but mushrooms into a tension-wracked crescendo right up to the moment of kick-off, when the referee blows his whistle for hostilities to commence.
And today is no different, COVID-19 or no COVID-19 … the pre match hype has been deafening, with officials and fans alike of both teams having a go at each other with all kinds of records, statistics, current form and wild predictions … all topped with the ubiquitous “ways and means” the only evasive element of the melee. However, any serious follower of the game will tell you that KOTOKO / HEARTS MATCHES KNOW NO FORM GUIDE! The victor of the day is the one that leverages on the mind games in the run-up to the match, and takes its chances on the pitch … so gird your loins for a nail-biting roller coaster of a ding-dong affair!
For die-hard fans of the game in Accra and around the country, this is a never-to-be-missed match, a match that demands attendance at the stadium in order to see, feel and experience the charged atmosphere, what the hype is all about, and to have a say in the inexorable post-match debate. But alas, today is different … THERE WILL BE NO FANS IN THE STANDS, courtesy COVID-19 and the breach of protocols in previous GPL matches!
So for avid football fans, especially the Kotoko and Hearts faithful desirous of watching the match, your best friend will be your TV screen, and your only bet A decoder from StarTimes, who reserve the exclusive broadcast to the Ghana Premier League, that is if you are at home or have access to a TV with an StarTimes subscription.
Otherwise, your only other option is to download and install the StarTimes ON App from Google Play Store or Apple Store, subscribe and tune in to the Adepa Channel (Channel 247), and you’re set to enjoy all the pre-match panel discussion, with host Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, featuring former Heart of Oak ace Amankwa Mireku and Asante Kotoko’s former prolific goal poacher Eric Bekoe.
The Fun starts at 1pm with pre-match prep by the two clubs, scenes from the stadium and the informative pre-match panel discussion from the studio.
On radio, Max89.7FM brings you the live commentary of the match preceded by a pre-match discussion at 1pm anchored by Kwaku Owusu Aduomi (a.k.a. Waanowaano), with Evans Amewugah, Nafisa Fattal and Nana Yaw Takyi on the panel.
KICK-OFF IS AT 3PM!
Credit: Frederick Isaac Amoah
