Each Ghana Premier League season comes with a peculiar set of officiating migraines, but ultimately familiar effects.
Nonexistent offside calls and an inexplicable reluctance to be stern on dangerous tackles are but a few of them.
For a league that is very aggressive, it is baffling that referees have made a habit of allowing dangerous tackles. Perhaps their tolerance for such is why the recurrence of dangerous tackles should not surprise anyone.
Players know they will get away with a slap on the wrist, so why not?
If it happens very early in the game, the unspoken rule in Ghana football is to give a foul, but not the commensurate caution to the player. The rhetoric has always been “Oh it is too early in the game.”
As Peter Banks showed in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Chelsea last month, it is never too early to properly punish players.
In Ghana, though, the club’s and players have to deal with it.
The latest victim of that is Accra Hearts of Oak, who now have to live without playmaker Hussein Mohammed.
Having missed last week’s win over Eleven Wonders, the midfielder will sit out of today’s trip to Bechem United with an ankle injury he sustained against Dreams F.C.
Referee William Agbovi Junior, a rookie who is now learning to cut his teeth, offered no protection as the hosts took turns fouling Hussein Mohammed. It was as if the plan was to rotate the fouls in order to avoid caution. The kind of thing that would have been spotted and addressed by another referee, in another jurisdiction.
Yet, the twenty-two-year-old referee allowed foul after foul until Hussein Mohammed suffered one foul too many and had to be replaced by George Paaku just after the second half.
Hearts have since kicked on; first by seeing out that game to record their first win of the season, and a 1-0 win over Eleven Wonders last week.
There have been other lessons, too.
Against Eleven Wonders, Didi Dramani kept faith with the midfield anchor of Raphael Amponsah and Abdul Karim.
Amponsah’s pass selection and ability to retain possession when under pressure have been the difference between the Phobian midfield in their season opener with Hohoe United and the subsequent victories.
Bechem United will properly test that press resistance and the spine of that Hearts midfield.
Spurred by the home crowd, Bechem are expected to be direct and intense in the second phase of their build up.
In the past, Noah Martey and more recently, Francis Twene are midfielders who have typified the character with which Bechem approach these games.
Players to watch
Bechem United’s acquisition of former Manchester City starlet Aminu Mohammed overshadowed the club’s underwhelming transfer activities.
In staying true to his flamboyant, larger-than-life self, the former Ghana U17 player turned up for his first day with a limousine.
As far as appearances go, that is the only one worth reporting. His only appearance this season was as an unused substitute in the defeat to Heart of Lions last week.
That means the match-winning responsibility falls to the evergreen Augustine Okrah, who has returned for his one millionth stint with the Hunters.
Even though he is yet to kick a ball this season, there will be no shortage of expectations considering his proven track record as a reliable emergency card.
However, Okrah would have to do it all by himself giving the remarkable skint quality in this team.
Star power or not, Bechem will attempt to overrun the Hearts midfield. It is the way they have played these games. In that regard, George Paaku’s tendency to drop into midfield and stay closer to Abdul Karim and Raphael Amponsah will be decisive.
It means the Phobians can go man-to-man in the middle of the park when defending, and when building up, Paaku can be the extra man to find.
Further up the pitch, Didi Dramani is expected to start Frank Duku after two underwhelming displays by Hamza Issah.
Kelvin Osei-Asibey is expected to lead the Phobians at the back after missing last week’s match, while Ali Mohammed, like Hussein, will sit this one out with an ankle problem.
For Bechem United, there are no major injury concerns.
Head to Head
Hearts of Oak are the team in form going into this match. The Phobians have won seven points out of a possible nine, and are 3rd on the league table, while their hosts are 15th with just a point after losing two of their opening three matches.
Hearts are also unbeaten in ten league matches, a run that stretches back to last season.
In terms of this fixture, Bechem United have won three of the last six meetings at home, while Hearts have won twice, with the other game ending in a stalemate.
Overall, Bechem has won five, lost three times, and drawn twice in ten home matches against Hearts of Oak.
In their most recent meeting, in this fixture, Kofi Tompuo settled the affair, ten minutes into the second half, to hand Bechem United a 1-0 win on 19th March, 2025.
Prediction
Didi Dramani’s side has not conceded a goal this season, and it is likely to stay that way against a Bechem United side that is leaking goals and cannot score any in return.
Bechem United 0-1 Hearts of Oak.
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