Medeama SC fought to earn a 2-2 draw against Asante Kotoko in a pulsating late kick-off on Sunday evening, as Samba O’Neil went from villain to hero in a match that had everything.
The Mauve and Yellow stunned the Porcupine Warriors early and looked on course for a statement away victory, only for Kotoko’s second-half fightback and a heartbreaking 95th-minute equaliser to deny them all three points.
Derrick Fordjour set the tone as early as the 5th minute with a goal of the season contender. Black Stars debutant Kelvin Nkrumah – handed his first Ghana call-up earlier this month – produced an outrageous trivela pass from the right flank that dissected Kotoko’s defence.
Fordjour met it perfectly on the half-volley, smashing the ball into the bottom left corner past a helpless Frederick Asare. The travelling Medeama fans erupted; Kotoko were shell-shocked.
Thirteen minutes later it was 2-0. Prince Owusu, a constant menace with his direct running, burst past Samba O’Neil on the edge of the box and was clumsily brought down by the Guinean defender.
Captain Yousif Mubarick stepped up and calmly sent Asare the wrong way from the spot, wheeling away in celebration as Medeama threatened to run riot.
The hosts came out transformed, pressing high and relentlessly. Medeama, who had controlled the first half, suddenly found themselves pinned back.
The pressure told on the hour mark. Substitute Laud Amoah, introduced at the break, drove down the right and cut the ball back perfectly for Peter Aminu Acquah to sweep home from ten yards and halve the deficit.
Medeama dug in and looked set to hold on for a precious away win that would have kept them firmly in the title conversation. Then came the 95th minute.
With virtually the last action of the game, Kotoko won a free-kick on the right. Laud Amoah swung in a delicious delivery and there was Samba O’Neil – the same man who had conceded the first-half penalty – to power a header beyond Kofi Mensah and spark wild scenes among the home supporters.
Heartbreak for Medeama, redemption for O’Neil, and a point apiece that arguably felt like a win for Kotoko and two points dropped for the visitors.
Laud Amoah, whose introduction completely changed the game, was a deserved recipient of the Man of the Match award.
The result extends Karim Zito’s Kotoko winless run to three matches in all competitions and piles more pressure on the under-fire coach ahead of next weekend’s trip to Hohoe United.
For Medeama, just two points from their last two league games is a blow to their title aspirations. They return to the Akoon Park next Sunday to face a lackluster Berekum Chelsea.