Asante Kotoko were held to 0–0 draw by Heart of Lions in their matchday four Ghana Premier League encounter at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Saturday.
Returning to domestic duty after progressing to the second qualifying round of the CAF Confederation Cup with a 5–3 aggregate victory over Nigeria’s Kwara United, the Porcupine Warriors were eager to build on their continental momentum.
Head coach Abdul Karim Zito named a strong starting XI led by captain Samba O’Niel and goalkeeper Aziz Dari.
Kotoko dominated possession in the first half but found it difficult to penetrate a compact and disciplined Lions defence. Emmanuel Antwi and Hubert Gyau both had half-chances, while Joseph Amoah’s effort from distance was tipped away by the visitors’ goalkeeper.
Heart of Lions were organised and purposeful on the break, using their pace on the flanks to test Kotoko’s backline, though they too struggled to create clear scoring opportunities.
In a bid to inject more attacking impetus, Zito introduced Seth for Donzo at the start of the second half. The Porcupine Warriors pressed forward, with Amoah setting up Antwi in the 54th minute, but the latter’s shot lacked the required power to trouble the goalkeeper.
A double substitution in the 65th minute saw Walid and Asiedu replace Antwi and Joseph, as Kotoko sought to turn dominance into goals. However, Lions continued to stand firm, defending with composure and discipline.
The visitors had a brief moment of promise in the 66th minute when they earned a free kick in shooting range, but the effort went narrowly off target. Kotoko responded in the 70th minute with a dangerous free kick of their own after after Amoah was fouled, yet they failed to make it count.
The hosts continued to push in the closing stages, with Gyau combining cleverly with Lord Amoah in the 76th minute to win a corner. Late in the game, Amoh replaced Peter Amidu in the 87th minute, but the substitution did little to change the outcome as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.
The result leaves Asante Kotoko still searching for their first league win since returning from continental competition, while Heart of Lions will take confidence from a resilient away performance in Kumasi.
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