Ghana Premier League - Statistical Preview to Week 27

Writer:: Amoah Kofi

Twitter:: @milikykophy

Facebook:: Miliky-Amoah Kophy

The race for survival and top four in league is on. With 3 matches to end the league season, clubs who find themselves wrongly placed and are getting drowned on the league table will seek to throw everything they have left so they are not coiled up by relegation. Through fair means and with their last breath left, a fight to maintain in the top flight division is assured in the closing stages. This isn't a period to share a joke with any club chairman, coaches or players since all attention seemed swayed towards escaping relegation.

A clear glance through the league table with specific attention to points shows a defeat or even a draw slips one club down to about two to three places on the league table. Points accumulated by clubs are so close in such a way no team is safe on the league log.

These weekend matches will light up the various venues with crucial encounters with the heat and chase still pending. Great Olympics who are yet to taste a defeat in their last 6 matches will welcome the lads, WAFA, from Sogakope who always delight supporters with scintillating football at the Ohene Djan stadium. The Tarkwa mauves boys will also play the continental club masters Hearts of Oak who are two steps down to the relegation zone whiles at the Baba Yara stadium, resurgent Asante Kotoko plays bottom rooted BA United who are without a win in their last 13 matches. At the Bechem park, Bechem United will seek to pick all the three points against Wa Allstars. Eleven is to one, popularly called, Inter Allies will travel to the Carl Reindolf park to square it out with Liberty in a regional derby whiles 14th placed Heart of Lions will try to end Aduana FC's hopes of surprising Ashanti Gold to the title as in 2009 as both of them play on Sunday. Lastly, Anthony Kommeh's Edubiase will humbly welcome 7th place Hasaacas at the Obuasi Len Clay Park this weekend.

Great Olympics  Vs  WAFA.

Great Olympics who are without a defeat in their last six matches in the league so far will be playing WAFA this weekend at the Ohene Djan stadium. Against all odds, Olympics picked a point from a dreaded grounds in Dormaa as they drew one all with Aduana football club. This has boosted their chance of escaping relegation aa they are currently 13th on the league table with 34 points.

WAFA who are 5th on the league table with 40 points will want to do a double over Olympics as they won the first leg by two goals to one. With Olympics seriously taking every game as a world cup final, it cast doubts of WAFA will be able to pick a win and further push them down to the relegation zone.

WAFA has 2 wins, 2 loses, and a draw in their last 5 matches in the league. This will be their 3rd time of playing teams from the capital city. They have won one (against Inter Allies) and lost one (against Liberty). Kwame Boateng (Olympics) and Zakaria Mumini (WAFA) all has 8 goals for their clubs and could increase their tally come Sunday. Ohene Djan stadium will be a one of a delight place to be on Sunday as both clubs treat their supporters to a beautiful football with one trying to escape relegation.

Asante Kotoko  Vs  BA Unite.

The story between Asante Kotoko and BA United has always been that of a lion and an ant. Kotoko, indeed has been roaring like a lion over BA United in their meetings in time past. In view of this, their meeting this weekend might not be different from previous meetings. There has been 60 meetings between these two sides. Kotoko has 46 wins whiles BA United has ONLY 6 wins with 8 ending in stalemate. Since the introduction of the Premier League system in 1999, they have met 11 times. Kotoko has go ahead to be on the winning side on 8 occasions, scored 23. BA has 2 wins and scored 7 with only 1 draw. Asante Kotoko really have an upper hand over BA United.

Since 1999, Kotoko has played 8 matches on match day 28 in the Premier League. They have won 6 and lost 2, scoring 11 and conceding 6. On the other hand, BA has played 2 matches on match day 28 since 2000. Unfortunately, they have lost all, conceded 5 goals and scored none. In a worst scenario, the last time they won an away game in the league was way back on 24th Oct 2004 (10 years 10 months). They defeated Tano Bofoakwa two goals to nil (0-2).

Amed Toure and Dauda Mohammed has scored the most goals for Kotoko this season, 11 and 5 respectively whiles Francis Kyeremeh and Danso Isaac has 4 and 1 respectively. How are the defense of BA United going to stand against a resurgent Asante Kotoko who are unbeaten in their last 4 games both home and away. BA United, on the flip side are yet to pick a win in 13 league matches as at now. The last time they won a match in the league was a 2-1 win against Berekum Chelsea on 26th April 2015 on match day 14.

This looks pretty much easy to predict but lets not forget there are surprises in football. Anything is bound to happen but a win for Kotoko is much expected.

Medeama SC    Vs   Hearts of Oak.

Only 2 points separates both teams, Meadeama and Hearts of Oak on the league log. The Tarkwa Mauves are 9th with 37 points whiles Hearts are 12th with 35 points. A defeat for either side on Sunday will see a drop to the relegation zone since clubs beneath them are playing at home. And all other things being equal, they will rise above them on the league table if they should win.

Since Kessben sold their Premiership status to Medeama in 2009, they have met 9 times. Medeama has won 5 times whiles Hearts has ONLY one win with 3 ending in drawn games. 25 goals has been produced in their clashes with Medeama netting 15 times and in turn allowing in 10 goals. Medeama has played Hearts 4 times at home. They have won 2 and drawn 2 and are yet to lose to Hearts at the Tarkwa TNA Park. 8 goals has been produced with Medeama scoring 5 whiles Hearts has scored 3.

The Tarkwa Mauves has 3 clean sheets in their last 5 matches played at home whiles Hearts have kept only 1 clean sheet (against Liberty)  in their last 5 outings. Generally, in their last 5 matches in the league, Medeama has 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats whiles  Hearts has 3 wins and 2 loses. When it comes to goals, Medeama stands tall. Nathaniel Ohene Asamoah who is currently leading the goal king race has 18 goals for Medeama whiles Gilbert Fiamenyo and Foovi Aguidi has combined to score a total of 13 goals, 8 and 5 respectively for Hearts of Oak. The last 5 matches for Hearts on match day 28 since 2009 has seen them winning 3 and losing 2. Woefully, they have conceded on all match day 28 since 1999. On the flip side, Medeama are yet to draw or lose a match on match day 28 at home. They have played 4 and won all, scoring 8 and conceding 3.

Bechem United  Vs  Wa Allstars.

Wa Allstars  will travel from Wa to play relegation threaten Bechem United at the Park this Sunday on match day 28.  Bechem United who has lost only one match at home in the league will want to protect their home invincibility from there with a win so as to move away from the relegation zone. Allstars has a huge task on their hands to make Bechem,dance to their tune by picking all the three points as they lost at home to Liberty last week.

There  has been 5 meetings between them. Both have two wins with one ending in stalemate. Allstars has scored 5 whiles Bechem has 3 goals in their 8 goals produced. Allstars has 2 wins and 3 loses in their 5 matches played in the league. Bechem on the other hand has 1 win, 2 loses and 2 draws in their last 5 matches in the league.

The highest goal scorer for Bechem is Noah Martey who has 9 goals  whiles Kweku Asuandzie Baffour has 5 goals for Allstars. Bechem united has won 9 matches at home in their 12 matches played. They have lost 1 and drawn 2. Allstars, unimpressively has won only one match away, lost 9 and drawn 2 of their 12 matches played. They have picked 16 goals from their nets in the process and scored 6. Allstars has won 1, drawn 3 and lost 1 in their last 5 matches played on match day 28 since 2010.