After the dust has settled on yet another exciting weekend in matchday 9 of the 2024/25 Ghana Premier League, 3Sports takes a look back at the standout talking points that have taken centre stage.
Home sides struggle
Matchday 9 was a mammoth task for home sides across the various venues. No home team was able to pick up maximum points, with the closest home sides came to securing three points being draws.
14 goals were scored, with home teams attributing for five whereas away teams scored nine. Home teams such as Kotoko and Medeama lost their first home games of the season, with Bibiani Gold Stars dropping two crucial points at home.
Hearts of Oak handed keys to TNA
Medeama’s Tarkwa TNA Park was without blemish after its inception before the start of the 2024/25 season. Medeama had played four times at home, winning two and drawing two.
However, against Hearts of Oak on Friday, the dynamics were altered. A strong second-half showing from the visiting side saw them put two unanswered goals past a hapless Medeama team who endured their first home defeat of the season and a first since the TNA Park was built. Hearts’ two goals also meant, for the first time, Medeama conceded twice in a home game as Hearts had a stroll in the park in Tarkwa.
The win takes Hearts Of Oak to 12 points, seven behind league leaders Gold Stars and three behind fierce rivals Asante Kotoko.
No goal for one-goal Kotoko
The build-up to the weekend was centered around Asante Kotoko’s ineptness in front of goal, despite finding themselves second on the league log behind Bibiani Gold Stars. Once again, Kotoko’s bane this term – goalscoring – was again in full swing as they struggled to recover from going a goal down against coach Bashiru Hayford’s Heart of Lions.
Kotoko had averaged one goal in the previous eight weeks but never looked like scoring in Obuasi after a mix-up and lack of communication between goalkeeper Camara – deputizing for regular keeper Fredrick Asare – and Justice Blay gave Heart of Lions an easy goal.
The latest loss adds up to Kotoko’s defeat to Legon Cities, leaving the Porcupines winless in their last three games; recording a point out of a possible nine. The defeat takes Kotoko to third, four points off the league summit.
League leaders GoldStars beneficiaries of slip-ups
After league leaders GoldStars’ closest competitors in the league thus far -Kotoko and Medeama- all failed to record victories in their respective games, Gold Stars profited the most after the weekend’s run of games.
Gold Stars had their own struggles against a resolute Dreams FC, who were looking for their first win of the season. Despite Dreams being reduced to 10 men, Gold Stars were unable to find a way past them.
However, coach Frimpong Maanso and his lads did not leave empty-handed as they managed to pick up a vital point; one which could go a long way at the end of the season.
Gold Stars have now opened up a three-point lead over second-placed Nations FC, with the club the only unbeaten side after nine rounds.
Dreams FC remain only winless side after nine games
Against Gold Stars, although a difficult task, but not improbable by any stretch of one’s imagination, the Still Believe boys dared to do the unthinkable. After seeing Legon Cities go neck-and-neck with a title-competing Asante Kotoko last Wednesday, coach Karim Zito and his team were buoyed by the feat.
However, a first-half red card to Richmond Tetteh -the third of Dreams FC’s season- took the wind out of their sails as they were pinned back for the majority of the game.
A gallant defensive display meant Dreams FC left Dun’s Park unscathed but passed up the opportunity to secure a first league win of the season.
