Medeama host Panthers, Sun
Debutants Medeama SC possess the brightest chance of progressing past the preliminary stage among Ghana’s African quartet when the second legs of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup are honoured this weekend.
On Sunday at the Tarkwa Park, Medeama welcome the Equatorial Guinean side, Panthers FC, who have Ghanaian forward, Bernard Dong Bortey, in their ranks. The comfort of a 1-2 cushion recorded in the first leg of the Confederation Cup tie at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo means the pressure would be off Medeama Coach Carlos Roberto Paulette’s men in what is expected to be a comfortable victory over Panthers.
Medeama’s home form in the league has been very solid, winning three, drawing four and losing just once to Hearts of Lions (0-1), giving them extra confidence in the game.
However, Medeama are warned as the history of football is littered with numerous accounts of extraordinary comebacks where teams have lost games from seemingly imperious positions.
In stark contrast, league leaders, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, have the most difficult task at hand when they travel to Liberia to play Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) on Sunday.
After recording a slender 2-1 first leg victory at home over the defending Liberian Premier League Champions, Kotoko head into the second leg in Monrovia, needing a positive result as a solitary goal from BYC could dump them out of the CAF Champions League on the away-goal rule.
The artificial turf of BYC’s 15,000 seater Antoinette Tubman Stadium could prove a spot of bother for the Porcupine Warriors who were accused of spurning numerous chances in the first leg in Kumasi.
Also, Kotoko would have to be wary of conceding setpieces around the penalty area because the talented 28 year-old Isaac Pupo would be on hand to punish them like he did last Sunday.
Similarly, Berekum Chelsea and Ebusua Dwarfs, in the Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively, find themselves in precarious positions.
Chelsea head to Khartoum, Sudan to play South Sudan’s Atlabara on Sunday with a 2-0 lead. The shift in venue to Sudan is as a result of the political crises in South Sudan.
Chelsea will be without Jackson Owusu, after the influential midfielder got sent off in the closing stages of the game after his brace.
Senegal’s ASC Diaraf welcome Ebusua Dwarfs to the Stade de Diaraf, Dakar on Saturday with hopes of over turning Dwarfs’ fragile 1-0 advantage.
Dwarfs are currently in the relegation zone of the First Capital Plus Premier League and to progress to the second round (round of 16) against all odds would prove a huge coup for the mysterious lads who have endured a torrid season so far.
