Accra Hearts of Oak will hope to move momentarily to fourth in the Premier League standings with a win against Accra Lions in a match week 26 fixture at the Accra Sports Stadium tomorrow with their title defence charge under water.
Placed sixth on the league standings with 37 points, 15 points adrift of leaders Asante Kotoko on 52 points, the Phobians have all but called time on their title challenge with eight games remaining, turning focus to the FA Cup, where they have advanced to the semi-finals and hold a realistic chance to defend their status as champions.
But a decent finish is within grasp for the ‘Phobians’ and that will mean finishing in the top four places where they have to rub stiff shoulders with Bechem United, Aduana Stars, Great Olympics and Medeama – ranked second to fifth on the league log, respectively.
Hearts have the opportunity to temporarily displace city rivals third-placed Olympics and fourth-placed Medeama who are tied on 39 points to move fourth as both clubs play on Sunday.
Hearts coach Samuel Boadu has remained optimistic despite his sides sinking title prospect and will need a win to give his boys the psychological urge to keep fighting in the hope that Kotoko stumble.
Home side Accra Lions, however have troubles of their own which will require the three points at stake to mitigate.
Lions have impressed in their first league campaign lying 10th on the league log but the volatile nature of the league and close-point gap between the clubs means that even at 10th position they are still within the claws of the relegation drop with just five points distancing them from 16th-placed Eleven Wonders.
Buoyed by a two-game win including a 1-0 win at the Baba Yara Stadium against King Faisal on match week 25, Lions coach Ibrahim Tanko will be riding on that momentum to exact revenge on Hearts for the 2-0 loss suffered on Match week nine.
Boadu will be counting on his usual stars, Mohammed Alhassan, Daniel AfriyieBarnieh, Salim Adams, GladsonAwako and Dennis Korsah and Samuel Inkoom to deliver.
In Tanko’s young team, captain Dominic Nsobila, Frederick Asante, Kelvin Kyei, Hamidu Abdul Fatawu, and Frederick Akatuk will lead the charge on the Phobian upset.