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After the match, Legon Cities coach Goran Barjaktarević was asked about the positives of the game.
His response was direct and forceful. He said nothing.”
The truth is, when your team is beaten 3-0, it’s hard to pick up on the positives and it was no different from Legon Cities tonight.
The stage was set, a Greater Accra derby between two teams that shared many similarities before the game.
Both teams were winless in their first three games last season and started the new season on a similar tangent, earning one point each on matchday one.
The Olympics secured a crucial draw against Medeama in Tarkwa, as Legon Cities also came back to tie Berekum Chelsea at home.
A draw between these two Accra-based clubs was an opportunity for one of them to clinch its first win of the season.
An opportunity that seemed like the Olympics wanted more. The Oly Dade guys showed more intensity and hunger when they pushed Legon Cities in the opening minutes of the game.
As a result, Annor Walker’s men dictated the pace of the game and dominated the ball by moving the ball calmly.
At the end of the first half, the Olympics could have been three or four goals up. New singer, Abdul Manaf Mudasiru had three clear chances to put his side in front, but failed to put any of them on target.
Captain Maxwell Abbey Quaye, Gladson Awako and Samuel Abbey had opportunities to score the first goal of the night, but failed to convert.
With seconds to go in the first half, Mudasiru fell to the edge of the penalty area. Awako converted the resulting free kick with the help of a deflection to give the Olympics the lead.
It was a means of forgetting for Legon Cities as they put together a single shot at the target and looked very disjointed.
The second half was more or less a carbon copy of the first, as the Olympics continued to dictate the play.
The Wonder Boys were rewarded after Samuel Abbey fell into the box. Captain, Maxwell Quaye stepped forward and doubled the advantage on his side.
Barjaktarević responded by making three changes, as Legon Cities seemed sharper and forced the issue. However, as the Royals engaged more men forward, Samuel Abbey found space outside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful punch in the upper corner.
3-0 ended with the Olympics beating, outwitting and beating Legon Cities at the Accra sports stadium.
New season, new look Olympics with confidence
For the first time in a long time, the Olympics seem like a team that has a clear identity and plays with such intensity. Throughout the preseason, Coach Walker was emphatic that his team finished in the top five. An expectation that raised eyebrows, but results like these could make eyebrows drop much lower.
The Olympics replaced their old guard, including Emmanuel Clottey, Godfred Saka and Ernest Sowah from last season, with younger, fresher players.
The Wonder Boys signed 11 players during the transfer window, and new players have easily assimilated into the team, according to coach Annor Walker.
“This is hard work, the boys have also been receiving instructions from me. Everything I preach, they put into practice. I am like a father to them and I have a father-son relationship with my players. When they deserve to be scolded, I scold them. In the end, you can see that the boys play for me on the field.
Five of the new signings started against Legon Cities and the chemistry of the team was evident as the players combined in triangles across the field.
The team has had a good start to the league and is currently the first in the table by goal difference.
Next up for the Olympics is a game against title favorites Asante Kotoko and Walker admitted that he’s taking one game at a time.
“I only had Medeama in mind when I faced them. When I finished, I shifted my focus to Legon Cities. Now we are facing Asante Kotoko and we will have to intensify the way we play and work with my players to be ready for Kotoko. “
The Olympics will find their litmus test when they face Kotoko on Saturday, November 28.
