President’s Cup rained-off
This year's President Cup match between rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak to honour the sitting President and also to cleberate Ghana's 57 years as a Republican state was rained off at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi yesterday after 65 minutes of play.
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The match is to be replayed on ......, according to GHALCA, organisers of the annual match.
The two were on level at 1-1 when Referee William Agbovi stopped the game awaiting a final decision by the organisers, GHALCA, for a new date to be fixed.
It was a game of two equal halves as defending champions Kotoko took advantage of a first half dominance to score through a spot kick.
Saddick Adams converted a 26th minute penalty after speedster Obed Owusu was brought down in Hearts’ penalty area.
Indeed, after the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumiah, had performed the ceremonial kickoff, the Phobians were on the back foot until about the 25th minute when they recovered briefly.
But even when they crawled back into the game, Hearts’ only solace was the reliance on long balls to their strikers of Cosmos Dauda and Kwame Kizto who struggled to go pass the Kotoko defence built around Ahmed Adams.
Hearts responded in a similar fashion in the second half with some blistering runs and dominance.
Minutes after midfielder, Malik Akowuah's long drive outside the box was parried by goalkeeper Ernest Sowah, it was to set the stage for the equaliser in the 50th minute.
Vincent Atinga rose to nod home the equaliser for Hearts from a well-taken corner kick as the rains began to set in.
The players had to endure the rains for the next 15 minutes before the referee called the match off.
Kotoko were hoping to avenge two defeats they suffered at the hands of Hearts in recent times; one losing 0-1 in a league game and 1-3 in Ghana at 60 Cup match.
But the two have another opportunity in two weeks time to settle the unfinished business in a return league game at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.