This weekend draws down the curtain for the end of the first half of the 2024/2025 season as all 9 games kick off at 15:00GMT simultaneously.
In Samraboi, defending champions FC Samartex 1996 will welcome rejuvenated Hearts of Oak in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
Samartex returned to winning ways beating Aduana Stars 1-0 in Dormaa last weekend. The title holders had gone 5 games without a win losing four on the bounce—a run of form which cost Nurudeen Amadu’s job last December.
The last time Samartex picked a home victory was in November (1-0) against weak side Legon Cities but the new manager, Christopher Ennin who picked first win on his debut game will draw inspirations from that victory ahead of the crucial match against Hearts of Oak at the Nsenkyire Sports Complex.
What has the manager said?
Ennin: “We are fully prepared for this game because playing with a club like Hearts of Oak isn’t something we can take lightly so we are prepared…the boys are ready for the game.”
Travelers Hearts have had quite a good run losing just once in the last 8 games (1-0 against Asante Kotoko) easing enormous pressure on coach Abubakar Ouattara. New additions such as former Ashgold’s poster boy Seth Osei offers him more options in his midfield.
Hearts have shared equally the total 8 wins this season home and away and are of the hope to record victory in their last away game of the round. In those four away wins they have netted 8 times averaging 2 goals per game in that tangent of analysis.
Elsewhere at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium Asante Kotoko will play as host to newcomers for the first time this season. After bolstering the attack department, coach Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side have scored in all last five games remarkably including scoring twice in a single game three times—it wasn’t so.
Kotoko also remain unbeaten in their last five outings registering four wins and draw. The Porcupines Warriors have wins entirely the first of the season of which five have come from home and are huge favorites to increase the tally.
The opposite number, Vision FC have known the task ahead on Sunday but can pull up surprises despite been poor travelers. Coach Nana Kwaku Agyemang in a confident mode, has issued a strong warning to Kotoko ahead of the game indicating it will be in Kotoko’s peril should they underrate them.
Another thrilling game will be the clash of the table toppers, Heart of Lions versus Nations FC. Leaders Lions with 30 points was a blip last weekend they surprisingly lost 3-0 to Bechem United having gone eight straight games unbeaten—seven wins and a draw.
Bashiru Hayford’s side have been strong at home and will hope to maintain home dynasty.
With just a point adrift, Nations FC are aiming to go top by Sunday evening should they beat their host. Kasim Mingle will somehow want to prove his worth after the Ghana Football Association named him the new head coach of the national U-23 men’s team (Black Meteors) last Tuesday.
Nations are on a three-game unbeaten run with the their last outing seeing them thrash Holy Stars 3-1 at the Dr Kwame Kyei’s Complex at Abrankese.
At the Golden City Park, Berekum Chelsea will face Medeama SC in a crunchy match. Chelsea have been battling for form this season picking just three wins in the season’s first sixteen games which leave them 10th with nineteen points on the table. Their alternating results in recent games can only give hope to opponents as they are winless in their last four matches scoring just once. —(3-1 defeat to Hearts of Oak)
Medeama have picked 8points away thus far from three wins and two draws but got back to winning ways (1-0 against Karela United) after an unexpected 3-2 defeat to Vision FC in December.
Their previous two games have produced 1-1 all scoreline against Asante Kotoko and Nsoatreman FC and the visitors are on a mission to improve it.
Nsoatreman FC will hope to end their 9-game winless run when they host Karela United at the Nana Konamansah Park on Sunday.
Sitting above the relegation Zone with just a single point heading into the last game in the first round, Nsoatreman FC will be looking to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three.
They’ve amassed 15 points, scored 15 and are the second club with the most goals conceded (20).
The Nsoatre lads are unbeaten in their last five home league games with one win and four consecutive draws. They will be desperate to record their first win since their 2-0 win over Basake Holy Stars on match day 7.
Back-to-back defeats in the last five league matches (W1, D2, L2) have seen Karela United slipped to the 16th place in the relegation zone with 14 points, having scored 8 and conceded 13.
They’ve lost three of their last five fixtures away from home going into this game.
Nsoatreman FC have played Karela United twice at home in the league since the Nsoatre lads gained promotion into the Premiership in the 2022/23 season with Nsoatreman FC winning one and losing one.
In the 2022/23 season, Nsoatreman FC beat Karela United 3-0 and suffered a 0-1 defeat in the 2023/24 season.
Accra Lions will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they entertain Gold Stars FC at the WAFA Park on Sunday January 19, 2025.
Lions suffered yet another defeat at Dreams FC in their last Premier League match, where they’ve secured the least number of wins in the league this season after match day 16 (W2).
They are currently battling with relegation in the 17th place with 13 points, having scored 10 and conceded 15. They’ve won 1, drawn 1 and lost 3 in the last five outings. Lions are the fifth weakest home team in the league and will be eager to record their third victory this season on Sunday over Gold Stars FC side they’ve not lost to at home since 2021.
The Miners are hardly an ideal opponent for the host as they’ve won 3, drawn 1 and lost just a single game in the last five league matches.
They are second in the table with 30 points, having scored 16 and conceded 9. They head into the game with a defeat in their last away fixture against Asante Kotoko in match day 15 and will seek to grab all the spoils over struggling Accra Lions on Sunday.
