Asante Kotoko travel to the Naa Sheriga Sports Complex on Sunday to face-off against Karela United on matchday-1 of the Ghana Premier League.
The Porcupine Warriors will aim to wrestle the title from FC Samartex 1996 as they kick starts their campaign on the road.
Coach Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum will come under scrutiny after he parted ways with 17 players at the end of the campaign last term.
A number of high profile players including former captain Danlad Ibrahim as well as Kalo Ouattara, Nicholas Osei Bonsu, Isaac Oppong, Augustine Agyapong, Nicholas Mensah, John Tedeku, Sherif Mohammed, George Mfegue, Serge Eric Zeze and Moise Pouaty all left the club.
But there have been replacements too, largely touted as decent. Samuel Tenedu, Lord Amoah, Emmanuel Antwi, Joseph Ablorh, Albert Amoah, Abdulrahman Abdulkarim, Ndongani Samba Gilbani, Patrick Asiedu, Saaka Dauda, Esmat Abdulhamid and Elvis Baffour as well as Nigerian winger Fernando Wisdom Bassey have been brought in to restore energy.
Pressure, a dominant commodity for Asante Kotoko players and officials, will be in full swing this season amid widespread expectation from their teeming fans.
As Asante Kotoko embarks on a new season, there is a definitely room for improvement on last term’s 6th placed finish with 14 wins, 7 draws and 13 defeats. Even though the Porcupine Warriors lost their first away league match last season to Bibiani Gold Stars (2-1), they accumulated the most points (19) away heading into the season.
Asante Kotoko looks forward to erase all their errors that cost them last season and judging by their pre-season form, they should be ready to do battle.
Karela United managed 12 wins, 10 draws and 12 defeats last season. The Tamale based won their first home league match against Berekum Chelsea with a 3-1 score line and were among the best performers at home last season securing 34 points.
The Pride and Passion have played Asante Kotoko four times at home in the league since 2020/21 season, with Karela United winning two, drawing one and losing one. In the 2020/21 season, Karela United suffered a 0-2 defeat to Asante Kotoko, drew goalless in the 2021/22 season, won 1-0 in the 2022/23 season and repeated same score line in the 2023/24 season.
Karela United have brought in new legs while sticking with the core of the group that survived the drop on the final day of the Premier League. The likes of Benjamin York, Mohammed Abubakar, Fidaus Mohammed, Alhassan Ali, Najib Fuseini Ibrahim, Awudu Mohammed, Faisal Gariba, Victor Aidoo, Abdul Basit, Solomon Aboagye, Emmanuel Anaful, Samuel Asiedu and Giyasu Ibrahim are all fit and ready for the game on Sunday.
