Is form guide the ultimate in Hearts-Kotoko encounters?
Hearts of Oak will face their archrivals, Asante Kotoko, on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium on match day 10 of the Ghana Premier League to determine who gets the bragging rights when Hearts of Oak take on Asante Kotoko.
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Several factors come into play whenever these sides play against each other, the impact of superstition, form guide, player quality, the influence of coaches on their respective teams, the impact of the fans, motivation and determination, among other factors.
In football the most determining factor that decides the outcome of games is the form guide of a team. However, most football fans in the country believe it is the least to talk about when Accra Hearts of Oak engage Kumasi Asante Kotoko, as they go by the saying that form guide does not work in games between them.
I have a contrary view to that as a statistical analyst of the game. After a careful study of the trend involving Hearts of Oak and Kotoko games, I can confidently say that whenever the disparity between these sides is clear, the one with good form hardly loses the tie. But there are also instances when the underdogs produce upsets in such encounters.
However, I believe a team that is on form should be an all-conquering team and not an inconsistent side. I will elaborate on this in the course of this piece to indicate whether there is a clear difference between Hearts and Kotoko as they come up against each other on Monday.
Let me take you back into times and give you instances that form guide determined the outcome of the most played league tie in the anal of Ghana football.
The era of the fearsome five: Late 1970’s
Hearts of Oak put together a strong side that managed to reach the African Club Champions Cup final in 1977. The core of the team was five players named the fearsome five: Anas Seidu, Mohammed Polo, Robert Hammond, Peter Lamptey and Mama Acquah. They had the name, due to their devastating form and they always rose to the occasion in big games, especially against Kotoko.
Hearts of Oak after losing the Africa Club Champions Cup final in 1977, continued their dominance in domestic football by winning the league in 1978. Prior to their league encounter in 1978, one could say with much certainty that the Phobians were the favourites and lived up to the billing. Hearts of Oak won the home and away league fixtures and even achieved an unprecedented feat, using nine men to beat an 11 man Asante Kotoko 2-1 in Kumasi. Hearts of Oak’s impressive form enabled them to defend the league title in 1979. Kotoko had to dig deep before getting their first win against the Phobians in six games in all competitions within that period.
The grand Kotoko: Early 1980’s
The period from 1980 to 1983 is the most successful in the enviable history of Kumasi Asante Kotoko. They won the league trophy on four consecutive times: 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. Never in the history of the club have they matched this feat. Asante Kotoko also played in the final of the Africa Club Champions Cup, now the CAF Champions League in 1982 and 1983. They lost to Al Ahly in 1982, but avenged that defeat by beating the Egyptian giants to win it the following year. Asante Kotoko had a very solid team made up of Joe Carr, Addae Kyenkyehene, Papa Arko, Ernest Appau, Kwesi Appiah, Kofi Badu, Albert Asaase, Ebo Mends, John Bannerman, Isaac Afranie, Opoku Nti and Opoku Afriyie. It will surprise you to know that Kotoko remained unbeaten in seven league encounters against Hearts of Oak (W5, D2)
Hearts of Oak 0-0 Asante Kotoko
Hearts of Oak said enough was enough by edging Kotoko 4-3 in Kumasi in a game that was full of excitement and drama in the 2nd leg to end their winless streak.
The era of the 64-battalions/the golden Phobians: Late 1990’s and early 2000’s
This is the most successful era in the history of Accra Hearts of Oak. They won the Ghana league for an unprecedented six consecutive seasons, won the CAF Champions League, 2 FA Cups and CAF Super Cup. The team played as a unit and due to their fearsome nature, it was called the 64-battalions, named after a special military group in Ghana: Sammy Adjei, Jacob Nettey, Dan Quaye, Amankwa Mireku, Stephen Tetteh, Sanni Wahab, Michael Donkor, Charles Allotey, Ishmael Addo, Charles Taylor, etc. Their dominance in both domestic and continental football was so amazing. Within that period, they enjoyed the better part of the clashes against their archrivals Kotoko.
Kotoko failed to beat Hearts in nine league games on the trot and even suffered their worst defeat in the tie (L5, D4).