Defending champions Medeama SC and FC Samartex 1996 tightened their grip on the early Ghana Premier League title race with narrow victories on match day five, while newcomers Port City FC continued their remarkable rise and Hearts of Oak’s promising start suffered another jolt.
Medeama and 2024 champions FC Samartex remain unbeaten and level on 11 points at the summit after grinding out identical 1-0 wins, but Port City are applying immediate pressure just a point behind following an emphatic 3-1 defeat of Bechem United.
Medeama needed patience away to newly promoted Debibi United before Nana Kofi Babil broke the resistance in the 68th minute.
The champions’ third victory, alongside two draws, preserved their unbeaten record and left Debibi 14th on four points.
Samartex matched that return at Nsenkyire Park, where Christian Agyenim Boateng converted a first-half penalty to sink Young Apostles 1-0.
The Timber Giants consequently remain locked with Medeama at the top, while Apostles slipped to 17th with three points.
Port City, however, continue to provide the campaign’s most compelling early story. The Kukurantumi-based newcomers swept aside Bechem 3-1, with Hamza Zakari opening the scoring before Owusu Ansah struck twice.
Bechem briefly threatened a comeback after reducing the deficit, but Ansah’s second restored Port City’s two-goal cushion and secured another statement victory.
They sit third on 10 points, with Bechem 10th on seven.
Former champions Aduana FC are also on 10 points after Stephen Amankona inspired a dramatic 2-1 comeback against Swedru All Blacks in Dormaa-Ahenkro.
William Danquah fired All Blacks ahead early, but Amankona equalised before converting an 85th-minute penalty to complete his brace and lift Aduana to fourth. All Blacks dropped to 13th with five points.
Basake Holy Stars climbed to fifth on nine points after the league’s leading scorer, Francis Asante, struck his sixth goal of the campaign to seal a 1-0 home victory over Berekum Chelsea, who remain 16th on four points.
For Hearts of Oak, however, the momentum is moving sharply in the opposite direction. The Phobians were held 0-0 by bottom club Dreams FC at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, extending their winless and scoreless streak to three matches.
Hearts had exploded out of the blocks with six goals and maximum points from their opening two fixtures, but that attacking threat has evaporated.
Dreams FC goalkeeper Rahman Osman made a crucial save to frustrate them, while Mohammed Shaban also created an opening for Razak at the other end, only for the forward to fail to connect.
The draw leaves Hearts sixth on eight points and Dreams still rooted to the bottom with two, the only side yet to record a league victory.
There were no goals either at the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema, where Vision FC and immediate past champions Gold Stars cancelled each other out.
Vision FC are 11th on six points, while Bibiani Gold Stars’ difficult start leaves them 15th with four.
Heart of Lions edged AshantiGold 3-2 in Kpando to move eighth on eight points, with AshantiGold ninth on seven, while Asante Kotoko occupy seventh place on eight points following last Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Karela United.
