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Asante Kotoko edged out Dreams, Hearts of Oak found a way to get past King Faisal and Bechem United won at the top of the table battle with Karela United on Matchday 6.
Here are the five talking points:
Asante Kotoko beat Dreams but problems persist
Kotoko painstakingly achieved her second victory of the campaign. They managed to beat Dreams 1-0 in Dawu but still have problems ahead.
On Friday, Kotoko announced the dismissal of Maxwell Konadu after the team lost 1-0 to the Olympics on Thursday.
Konadu had seen his team fight this season, notching a league win in four games (1W 2D 1L). He had also seen his numbers drop overall since the beginning of his second term at the club.
In the 2011/12 season, Konadu led the team to a league title with an average of 2.1 points per game in 30 games. In his second term starting in 2019, the figure fell to 1.67 points per game in 18 league games.
Additionally, his win rate dropped from 60% in his first term to 44.4% in his second term.
Shortly after Konadu’s departure, communications director Moses Antwi-Benefo announced his resignation for “professional and personal” reasons, indicating disorder at the club.
Their matches also seem difficult. A doubleheader with Al-Hilal in the CAF Champions League is coming up and a match against Medeama cannot be taken lightly.
The next few weeks will be crucial for Kotoko as they look for a new head coach to stabilize the ship. Kumasi’s team will be under pressure to please the fans.
The number coaches fired rising rapidly
One week, two layoffs. The first was Kotoko’s Maxwell Konadu and the last is King Faisal’s Slavisa Bozicic.
In six games, Insha Allah’s boys recorded only one win (W1 D1 L4). They have also recorded arguably the biggest loss in the league so far, a 5-1 beating by AshantiGold.
Bozicic was under great pressure before Saturday’s clash with Hearts of Oak, another team that has faced problems on and off the field.
A victory was needed for the Serbian but, sadly, it did not come. Despite fighting hard with the Phobians, King Faisal suffered a 2-1 loss on Saturday.
The Kumasi-based club reacted the next day with an announcement of Bozicic’s dismissal.
Bozicic took over the club last season and guided it in 19 games. He achieved a winning percentage of just 5.26%.
The Serbian joins Barjaktarevic (Legon Cities), Edward Odoom (Hearts of Oak) and Maxwell Konadu (Kotoko) on the sack list this season.
As the season progresses, more coaches are expected to receive layoffs if they underperform.
The race for first place offers a new twist
In the first five days, Karela was dominant. They held the top spot for three consecutive weeks, a commendable feat for a team that struggled last season.
However, the mantle has passed to Bechem, a side on which Karela recorded her first defeat of the campaign.
Before the game, the two teams had undefeated records in this season’s competition.
The battle was intense, but in the end, Bechem took all three points with a 2-1 victory.
Both teams currently have 11 points each and Bechem has a game in hand.
With the Olympics, WAFA and AshGold gaining traction, the race for first place is expected to be intense in the coming weeks.
The great Olympics rejoin the title conversation
After suffering a 2-0 loss to Liberty Professionals on matchday five, the Grand Olympics title ambitions turned grim.
Since then, they have been excellent. The Oly Dade boys achieved a 1-0 away win over Asante Kotoko on their third rescheduled matchday midweek, leading to Konadu’s dismissal.
They also recorded a 1-0 win against WAFA at Accra Sports Stadium despite finishing the game with 10 men. Annor Walker will surely be proud of her team so far.
In the league table, the Olympics are in third place with 10 points; just one point behind the Bechem United table tops.
The Accra-based team also has a game in hand, one that will be looking to climb to the top of the table.
It seemed unlikely before this season began, but the Olympics are a good case for the title.
Ibrahim Salifu makes early case for player of the season
Last season, fans saw Justice Blay dominate midfield with Kotoko. They also saw Victorien Adebayor dazzle his opponents with his dribbling and finishing skills.
A case could also have been made for Yahaya Muhammed due to his crucial goals for Aduana.
This campaign, a new star has emerged. His name is Ibrahim Salifu and he appears in Eleven Wonders.
The 20-year-old has shown dominance in every game he has played this season and has won four Man of the Match awards; the most accumulated by any player this season.
The attacking midfielder faces competition from the likes of Gladson Awako and others, but he may well claim the ultimate individual award if he maintains his brilliance.
