Kotoko shock Hearts after Soulama blunder
A gift goal by goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama, which will remain one of the cheapest in the living memory of many followers of Accra Hearts of Oak, gave the Porcupine Warriors a rare 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals at the Accra Sports Stadium.
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For Soulama and fans of Hearts, it was an afternoon they will quickly like to forget given the manner in which Kotoko earned the victory and bragging rights at the Accra Stadium, which witnessed one of the biggest crowds in recent years for the Premier League’s most anticipated fixture.
Certainly the villain in yesterday’s match in which he was given the marching off order for a rash tackle on a Kotoko attacker outside the penalty box, Soulama met a seeming harmless back pass from his centre-back, Richard Akrofi, but the tall goalie stumbled in his attempt to clear the ball to safety and his rather clumsy kick allowed the ball to roll calmly into the net.
It was a relief and a delight for the Kotoko supporters who had seen their side labour with 10 men — Kotoko defender Emmanuel Tuffour shown the red card by referee Awal Mohammed for a second bookable offence — against a tenacious Hearts side that had seen the best part of the game until the bizarre own goal in the 42nd minute.
The Burkinabe goalkeeper will remain haunted by the drama, as he struggles to regain the trust reposed in him by the thousands of Phobians after his controversial switch from Kotoko to Hearts last season.
That might have dawned on him and he broke down uncontrollably and was never himself until he was shown the red card in the second half after a foul on Kotoko’s Kojo Poku.
A match elevated to the conciousness of Ghanaian soccer lovers, it attracted a sell-out crowd as the pre-match hype also succeeded in raising tension to dizzy heights but the two sides failed to rise to the occasion.
Rather, it was the Kotoko defence that was subjected to an early torrent of Hearts pressure and it became apparent that Kotoko’s Tuffour lacked the temperament and pace to deal with the threat of the Hearts front men, particularly Isaac Mensah, whose tender feet conjured magic when in possession the ball.
Between the third and 27th minute, the Phobian attack rumbled even though they lacked the finishing instinct but in one of the greatest goalkeeping heroics, Kotoko’s shot-stopper Ernest Sowah parried away a power drive delivered by Hearts’ leading marksman Cosmos Dauda at close range to the amazement of the crowd.
And two minutes later veteran attacker Sam Yeboah’s header missed the post narrowly to give the visiting side a respite.
The Phobians maintained their dominance but each time the Kotoko pair of Eric Donkor and Ahmed Adams found space they created problems for the Hearts side, and it was one such moment when their attack was cut out by Akrofi whose back pass was kicked into the net by Soulama, who until the goal had been hardly tested.
Soulama sprawling on the ground as the ball rolls into the net
The Phobians came back into the second half full of fight, but their bench headed by their hallowed Japanese-American coach, Kenichi Yatsuhashi, pulled out Sarbah Laryea for Ashitey Ollenu which virtually ripped apart the Hearts back and midfield composition.
The move rather worked to the advantage of Kotoko who after engaging in antics to delay the game found the space to attack and they almost had the second, but striker Adam’s volley was blocked by substitute goalkeeper James Akologo, who was introduced into the game after Soulama was sent off.
Hearts: Soulama/ Samuel Akurugu, Robin Gnagne, Farouk Mohammed, Owusu Bempah/Appiah, Akrofi, Laryea.Ollenu, Mensah, Essuman, Yeboah, Cosmos Dauda and Kumi
Kotoko: Ernest Sowah, Amos Frimpong, Edwin Tuffor, Evans Quao, Ahmed Adams, Nyame, Gyamfi/Kojo Poku, Nyarko, Dauda, Obed Owusu and Eric Donkor