At long last, the GFA Normalisation Committee’s Special Cup (NCSC) tournament will kick off on Sunday.
After all the misunderstanding between the clubs and the Normalisation Committee (NC), Parliament of Ghana’s Select Committee on Sports intervention put an end to all the misunderstanding between the two parties.
Since football was halted after the Anas Amereyaw Anas expose on corruption in Ghana football was released on June 4, 2018, only Kotoko played an active football during this period.
Kotoko’s participation in the CAF Confederation Cup means they have an upper hand over all the other clubs due to their activeness.
Comparing the Porcupine Warriors to the other clubs, there is a high possibility that they can win the NCSC and represent Ghana at next year’s Champions League.
Most clubs went on break after football-related activities were halted in the country, however, Kotoko engaged their players in friendly matches before starting the Confederation Cup.
Apart from Kotoko, their arch-rivals, Accra Hearts of Oak has also been active. Although they lost to Kotoko in a two-leg high profile friendly match.
Since then they have gone on an unbeaten run after they appointed Kim Grant as the new coach. The Phobians have played 19 games, won 14 and scored over 40 goals.
But unlike Kotoko who has played high profile matches, Hearts has been playing low profile friendly games. Apart from the game they played against Kotoko, they played only lower division clubs in their friendly matches.
Hearts is tipped to also win the competition as it is the second most successful club in Ghana and they have been challenging for every domestic club with Kotoko.
@HeartsOfOakGH beat Ada based Division 2 side TAMA Wonders 6-0 in a friendly played at Pobiman this afternoon.AHOSC scored three goals in each half through Joseph Esso,Kojo Bonney,Michelle Sarpong,Kofi Kordzi, Anthony Quayson and Abubakar Troare to complete a comprehensive output pic.twitter.com/v7wPkkKALr
— Phobians (@HeartsOfOakGH) March 24, 2019
Should the trophy elude Kotoko or Hearts of Oak, Ashanti Gold SC can also win the trophy.
The Obuasi base club won the Betway Cup which was played by clubs being sponsored by Betway at Obuasi after they beat Medeama S.C 4-0 in the final.
Ash Gold also played Kotoko in the JA Kufuor Cup in Kumasi and a two-leg friendly at the Len Clay Park in Obuasi and at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
While both clubs won a match in the friendly game, the JA Kufuor Cup ended in a one-all draw.
Apart from these three clubs, almost all the other clubs have not been active and even among the three clubs, all eyes will be on Kotoko especially after their performance in the CAF Confederation Cup.
by: Nana Asabere
