MTN FA thrills Sunday; Watch Okwawu, Mighty Jets

Tarkwa-based Medeama Sporting Club continue their determined journey towards a successful defence of the MTN FA Cup with a tough Round of 16 battle against former premiership campaigners, Okwawu United, at Nkawkaw on Sunday.

As the Westerners travel across to the high Eastern Region mountains in high spirits after their CAF Confederation Cup conquest of Panthers of Equatorial Guinea, they will come face to face with a wounded Okwawu side who will be seeking to make amends after their 0-2 Division One League defeat to Mighty Jets at the ATTC Park last Sunday. 

Medeama are enjoying a good run under Peruvian trainer Carlos Roberto Paulette, but they engage an Okwawu side which is not only in the reckoning for qualification to the middle league but has also snatched a 3-2 away win over Sampa United in a Round of 32 clash last weekend, leading to their reported molestation by the homesters.

The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi will be a good setting for First Capital Premier League leaders Kumasi Asante Kotoko  to appease their fans for their CAF Champions League elimination when they play host to Division One Istanbul FC in a dicey duel. 

Quite typical of the MTN FA Cup, Coach Jonas Amissah has hinted of leading Istanbul to shock the Porcupine Warriors on home soil, despite knowing too well the magnitude of the task confronting them.

As they continue to lick their wounds, it is obvious Kotoko would go all out to vent their spleen on their younger opponents who have very little to lose even if they fail to cause their targeted upset.

Last week’s interesting draw also produced one  potential fixture between two Premier League sides — Berekum Chelsea and Inter Allies — at the Golden City Park in a match which will be a battle of supremacy as Berekum Chelsea hope to ride on home comfort to make the last eight.

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea hold their own against bottom-placed Inter Allies days after booking their ticket to the next round of the CAF Champions League.

Sekondi Hasaacas will play host to Bibiani Gold Stars in a tight regional derby at Essipon, while Ashantigold FC welcome Tudu Mighty Jets to the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium on Saturday.

Following their shocking 0-2 defeat by Bechem United at Obuasi, Bashir Hayford’s Ashantigold will have to be wary of the former elite division who go into  Saturday’s game with their confidence boosted by their 2-0 triumph over Okwawu only last Sunday.

Another must-watch cracker fixed for Saturday will be staged on the Gomoa Fetteh astro-turf when high-flying Feyenoord Academy dare former champions, New Edubiase United, in a contest which slightly favours the academy boys who are so used to their synthetic pitch.