Asante Kotoko finally claimed their first home victory of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season on Sunday afternoon, grinding out a 2-1 win over Heart of Lions at a packed Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi and ending more than a decade of frustration against the visitors from Kpando.
The result also marked the Porcupine Warriors’ first league win of the new campaign after they had been held to a 2-2 draw by newly promoted Debibi United on opening weekend, leaving them with four points from two matches and an early foothold among the mid-table pack.
The occasion carried extra weight because Kotoko had not beaten Heart of Lions since April 2015, when they dismantled them 4-0 at the same venue. In the years that followed the Lions had become something of a bogey side, claiming several results including a 3-1 victory in Kpando as recently as January 2026. That long drought made the three points on Sunday feel like more than just an ordinary home win; it was the lifting of a genuine hoodoo that had lingered for eleven years.
Kotoko, now under South African coach Eric Tinkler, started with purpose but still needed goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim to produce a sharp early save to keep the scoreline level. The hosts eventually broke through in the 27th minute when Patrick Asiedu whipped in a low cross and new signing Emmanuel Mamah arrived to finish from close range.
The goal settled the home crowd and gave Tinkler’s side a platform, though Lions remained dangerous and forced Ibrahim into another important stop before the interval. Heart of Lions’ own goalkeeper, Yamoah, also played his part, denying Hubert Gyau when Kotoko looked ready to extend the lead.
After the break the Porcupine Warriors continued to control large spells of the contest. In the 63rd minute Richard Boadu launched a raking long pass that found Mamah, who unselfishly laid the ball off for Isaac Opoku Agyemang to finish and make it 2-0. At that stage the game appeared to be heading for a comfortable home success, but Heart of Lions were reduced to ten men in the 77th minute when Humaid Fuseini was shown a red card.
Even with the numerical advantage Kotoko could not quite close the game out cleanly. Deep into stoppage time Francis Odoom converted a penalty in the 92nd minute to give the visitors a late lifeline, yet the home defence held firm through the remaining anxious moments to secure the points.
Tinkler later described the performance as a case of winning “ugly,” acknowledging that his team had not produced their most fluent football but had shown the determination required to collect a first three-point haul of the season. For Heart of Lions the defeat left them with a single point from two games after an opening-day goalless draw. Their coach Kasim Gokyildiz admitted his players had created enough chances to take something from the match but had lacked the necessary focus at key moments.
