Hearts, Aduana, and Kotoko all dropped points on matchday 23 of the Ghana Premier League, leaving the title race wide open. While the relegation battle heated up, Medeama finally made it into the top four.
Here are five things to remember from the weekend.
ADUANA GRADUALLY LOSING GROUND AT THE TOP
To save their home record and a point against Real Tamale United, the league leaders had to rely on a 100th-minute equaliser from Solomon Aboagye.
Aduana Stars have had several wake-up calls, but their competitors’ inconsistencies have made them unconcerned about the title race.
However, the warning signs from RTU, if not responded to quickly, could end Paa Kwesi Fabin’s boys’ grace period, as pressure mounts from Accra Lions and Bechem United in second and third place, respectively.
Hearts and Kotoko are still capable of doing the necessary when it matters the most, so neither can be ruled out. Medeama is also paying close attention.
MATIC’S ABSENCE NOT ENOUGH
Hearts of Oak’s Serbian trainer Slavko Matic mentioned prior to the Super Clash between his team and Kotoko that, the outcome of the game would determine their fate in their battle for silverware. However, he couldn’t lead the team to that very encounter due to the attitude of some fans who were unsatisfied with Matic’s performance in recent times.
His assistant, David Ocloo took over and delivered. He followed with a well-fought draw against Gold Stars and left it late through a contentious goal against bottom-placed Kotoku Royals.
However, the manner in which the run ended was through a 3-0 defeat to struggling Karela.
Ocloo has emphatically explained that the team won’t relent in pursuing the title regardless. However, the defeat as well as how they won the points in the previous game only suggest one thing. Thus, if Matic was really a problem, he wasn’t entirely the problem.
MEDEAMA BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG
The biggest revival a team in the Ghana Premier League would arguably achieve in the ongoing season is what Medeama have gotten. To say they are currently fourth and just three points away from reaching Aduana Stars at the top is certainly an experience every club will want to get.
The Yellow and Mauves were once relegation-threatened, have had three different coaches already and have recorded four consecutive losses in the early stages of the season.
However, they have now lost just a single game in their last ten matches, winning six and drawing twice.
They are statistically the most in-form team now in the last 15 matches and could finally get it right at the end of the season having failed to win the title in previous seasons.
KOTOKO’S HOME RUN ENDS
The Porcupines finally compounded their struggles this season with a home defeat against Medeama SC which could play a role in their title defence.
The fact that Kotoko are yet to record three consecutive wins in the entire season explains well their level of inconsistency which makes their ambitions too hard to realise.
The only factor that helped them stay afloat in the competition was the fact that they made the Baba Yara Stadium uncomfortable for opponents but that is also gone after all.
RELEGATION BATTLE INTENSIFIED
In as much as the race for the title remains competitive, the battle for survival may go down to the wire.
While 17th-placed Tamale City have lost once and drawn thrice in their last five matches, Kotoku Royals who lie bottom have won three in their previous five cutting their points away from the relegation zone to seven.
Karela have tried enough to place themselves in a safe spot but Olympics and Legon Cities who shared spoils over the weekend could struggle to survive following their poor form. Those two are the worst-performing teams in the last 10 games winning nine and ten points in that period respectively.
