Accra Hearts of Oak travelled all the way from the nation’s capital Accra to play against West Africa Football Academy (WAFA) in a Week 2 clash of the 2021/22 GPL season at the Red Bull Arena, Sogakope.
WAFA in a Week One lost by a goal to nil to King Faisal at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium with Hearts of Oak drawing 0-0 against Legon Cities at the Accra Sport Stadium.
WAFA defeated Accra Hearts of Oak by one goal in the Match Day 34(last game) after 4-0 defeat to Phobia in Accra in the 2020/21 season but that did not affect the reigning champions of the league to lift the trophy.
WAFA in the first of half of today’s game were dominant, creating a lot of chances, pressuring Hearts of Oak with Richard Attah showing his goalkeeping power to save the away side.
Raddy Ovouka who picked knock during the first league encounter against WAC at the Accra Sport Stadium bounced back in today’s game against WAFA but his performance was low uncompared to his previous performance.
WAFA were pressing and winning the one on one balls in the game. They were dictating the pace of the game in the first department.
Hearts of Oak’s Kofi Kordzi had a good drive on the ball and created a greatest ever opportunity of the first half for Fatawu Mohammed but he went with a defensive minded and missed the chance in the 44th minute.
It was a good news for Phobia as Kofi Kordzi with his brilliant strike kept his composure to put the ball in the net for Heart’s of Oak just a minute after Mohammed Fatawu’s miss in the 45th minute to take them the lead before Referee Attah Forson blew his whistle to end the first half after two minutes additional time.
Though WAFA dominated the game in the first half in terms of ball possession and creating of chances with their high pressing nature but Hearts of Oak were poised in the last five minutes of the first half which granted them the first goal. The goal was Hearts of Oak’s second goal against WAFA in Sogakope since 2016.
WAFA started the second half with a pattern of swinging passes together.
Referee Forson showed his red card to the team manager of Hearts of Oak W.O Tando after complaining about Daniel Afriyie Barnieh’s yellow card for a bad tackle.
WAFA finally levelled the game with Sampson Agyekum’s brilliant connection on the 60th minute.
WAFA were dominanting behind the defense of Hearts a minute after the goal and nearly scored the second goal but Richard Atta was strong in the goal post to save Hearts of Oak.
Substitution for Hearts on the 68th minute as Kofi Kordzi, the goal scorer was sent off for Enock Asubonteng with Agyenim Boateng coming in for Salifu Ibrahim, Ansah Botwe was also out for Benjamin Yorke and Isaac Mensah coming in for Afriyie Barnieh on the 86th minute.
It was hard for both teams to get the winning goal but WAFA were the strong in the latter part of the game.
Source: ghanasportspage.com