Kotoko host struggling Dwarfs

Ebusua Dwarfs will be guest to

Asante Kotoko will enter the game on high spirit following their away win over Hearts of Oak on Monday in Accra, whereas Ebusua Dwarfs are still battling to rediscover their form after returning to the GPL from division and will go into the game, after they were held to a 1-1 draw by the league champions Ashgold at home last weekend.

Match facts and team news

Kotoko

The Porcupine Warriors started the season poorly, but are back on track after replacing their head coach David Duncan with his assistant Michael Osei.

Osei has won 3 and lost 1 of the 4 league games under his watch so far.

Kotoko are well motivated for this clash, following their victory over Hearts of Oak in Accra.

Dauda Mohammed is the leading top scorer for the Porcupine Warriors. Although he failed to score against Hearts of Oak, the pressure he gave to goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye forced him to commit a howler.

However, they will be without dependable skipper who has earned a call-up into the Local Black Stars for an international friendly in Japan.

Asante Kotoko have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 of the 5 home league games played thus far. In all they are lying 9 on the league log with 14 points.

Dwarfs

They have lost 4 and drawn 1 of their 5 away league games this season.

Dwarfs are struggling to make an impact in the league; lying bottom of the league table with 9 points.

Christopher Bonney, who joined Asante Kotoko some three seasons ago from Dwarfs has re-joined his boyhood club, after parting ways with the former.

Gilbert Fiamenyo is also on the verge of joining the Cape Coast based side, after remaining club less for greater part of the first round of the season.

Bright Lukeman the topscorer of the GN Bank Division One League last season is yet to discover the form that made him devastating in the second tier league of Ghana football.

Head to head

These sides have faced each other in a total of 68 league ties. Kotoko have won 40, lost 12 and drawn 16 against Dwarfs.

Ironically, Dwarfs worst league defeat was against Kotoko, whereas Kotoko’s worst league loss happened against Dwarfs. Kotoko walloped Dwarfs 12-1, where Dwarfs also thrashed Kotoko 5-0 in 1961 and 1969, respectively.

The first league clash between them came in August 1958, which the Porcupine warriors won 4-1 in Cape Coast

Dwarfs lost the first 11 league encounmters against Kotoko. They had to wait until the 12 fixture to secure their first win.

In the Ghana Premier league, Kotoko have won 7 of the 12 visits by Ebusua Dwarfs (L2, D3), but have won the last 6 consecutive home league games against the Cape Coasters.

The last time Dwarfs won in Kumasi was in 1999 when they upset Kotoko 4-3 in a remarkable fashion.