The decline of Ghana’s football giants: Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko’s struggles

By
Prosper Kuzo
-
0
74
Hearts of Oak and Kotoko have experienced a massive decline in recent years
Advertisement

Two big names in Ghanaian club football history will always pop up at the front of your mind, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

Both teams have a league title apiece in the last four seasons of the Ghana Premier League. However, the last two seasons have seen their performances decline significantly.

In this campaign, Kotoko lie in 10th place on the league log, while Hearts of Oak lie in 11th place, positions their fans are desperately seeking to escape.

The Porcupines finished fourth on the league table last season and decided to reappoint their 2021/22 Ghana Premier League-winning coach, Prosper Nartey Ogum.
Nonetheless, his second stint at the club has not particularly gone to plan.

Kotoko have struggled to dominate the opposition in games under Ogum after the resumption of the second round this year, and the Porcupines have suffered five losses and have drawn once in their last six matches in the league, one point out of a possible 18.

Also, the Kumasi-based side have not won a game in five weeks, and although they have conceded nine goals in their last six matches, they have found the back of the net only four times in the period, a 0.6 goal ratio per game for the team, showing a lack of attacking prowess.

For Hearts of Oak, however, the appointment of Aboubakar Ouatarra looked the perfect turnaround after their poor start to the campaign in the first round. Ouatarra came in and ran unbeaten in his first five league matches, and many believed that Hearts of Oak were on the path to saving their season.

Nonetheless, a defeat to league leaders FC Samartex in March began Hearts of Oak’s woes, and the Phobians have gone on to lose three straight league games, taking further steps backward than what they had originally intended to revive their season.

Hearts have scored six goals in their last six league games. An average of a goal per game, as they have also conceded nine goals in the period. Ouattara’s main man in attack is the youngster Hamza Issah, yet his nine goals are not enough to save them even though they have proven to be crucial this campaign.

24 titles see Kotoko as the club with the most silverware in Ghana Premier League history, while Hearts of Oak are only three trophies behind, with 21. Nonetheless, both teams have been far from their best, and should the management of both clubs fail to adopt critical measures to avert the situation, their problems could worsen, as they are four and five points respectively off the relegation zone.

Kotoko’s next three league games could be season-defining for them. Either they drop further low and decrease their chances of a top-four finish or they end the season in the mid-table zone or perhaps the unexpected and unforeseen, Relegation.

Kotoko will face CAF Confederation Cup semi-finalists Dreams FC in their next fixture, before taking on league leaders Samartex and title holders Medeama SC. Three exciting games that could see them restore their form or fall further behind.

Hearts of Oak also have three crucial games ahead of them. A home fixture against Karela United, then an away trip to Legon Cities before a battle with Accra Lions at the Accra Sports Stadium.

All stakeholders involved in the operations of the two clubs will be hoping Hearts and Kotoko find themselves again to restore order in the rankings and quality of games seen in the Ghana Premier League. Yet the mighty have fallen, and as to when they will rise again remains unknown.