Premier League: Asante Kotoko breaks Karela United invincibility at Aiyinase
Coach Johnson Smith led Kumasi Asante Asante Kotoko to break the home invincibility of Karela United with a 2-0 victory at the Crosby Awuah Memorial Park in Aiyinase on Sunday.
Goals from Ibrahim Imoro and striker Kwame Opoku in the 39th and 61 minutes, respectively, secured the maximum points for Kotoko in a match which the bookmakers considered Kotoko as the underdogs,especially considering the fact that Karela had remained unbeaten since they entered the Ghana Premier League.
Imoro’s goal
While Imoro’s goal came from a low driven shot that gave the Karela goalkeeper no chance, Opoku, considered to be Kotoko’s most prolific striker, produced a clinical finish from Emmanuel Gyamfi’s pass to secure the maximum points for the Porcupine Warriors.
The victory catapulted Kotoko to the top of the league ladder for the first time with 23 points while Karela dropped to the third position with 22 points.
Early pressure
Moments after the match got underway, Karela started pilling pressure on the visitors with the view of taking an early lead, but Kotoko massed up more men at the back to soak the early pressure.
Karela continued to probe for the opener and came close in the 20th minute but defender, Yussif Mubarik, rescued Kotoko with a clearance to prevent a goal-bound strike before Razak Abalora denied Karela’s Kwame Boateng with a brilliant save.
Kotoko started warming themselves into the game after the half-hour mark and managed to open the scores when Imoro fired a carpet shot to give his side a breather.
Kwame Opoku added his name to the score sheet with a brilliant connection to Emmanuel Gyamfi’s pass to ensure that the home invincibility of Karela was broken.