Didi Dramani’s double-winning team – the first and only in Kotoko’s history- could not do it.
Maxwell Konadu’s team, which was excitingly direct, could not do it.
When he returned in 2021, he still could not do it because Emmanuel Clottey chose that of all days to produce a stunning stoppage-time free kick to restore parity.
So you can understand why, ahead of this match, Kotoko fans were not loud about their chances of winning at Berekum Chelsea.
Kotoko fans would agree that, of the many teams they have produced in the last fifteen years, if there was any capable of breaking their jinx at Berekum, it probably would not be the current team.
Yet, Karim Zito coached a mature performance on Sunday to break the jinx.
Albert Amoah will get the plaudits for producing a face-saving finish to win the match, but game by game, there is a new boy on the team winning hearts.
Musa Hamzatta
When Kotoko signed Musa Hamzata in August, it was difficult to see the logic behind it.
Not because he was a bad player, but because of how stocked they are in central defense.
Kotoko already had six center backs, including captain Samba O’neil and the experienced Zakaria Fuseini, who joined in July.
In two weeks, however, we have seen why Kotoko paid the money for a defender who has started forty-five league matches at the age of twenty-two.
He is quick, tidy in the tackle, anticipates well, and as we saw on Sunday, can be effective when thrown into the deep in a hostile environment, even if the job description is a departure from the norm.
Before putting up that credible performance on Saturday, he started and scored in the Champion of Champions win over league holders Bibiani Gold Stars.
The competition for places is going to be keen, but Hamzatta has taken an early lead in that regard.
TJ makes his mark
Friday’s Ghana Premier League opener can be reviewed from two points of view; the first through and by crediting Hohoe United head coach Tijani Abdul Bashiru (TJ), for his excellent strategy and in-game management.
Fundamental to the game plan was man-marking.
They essentially set out to short-circuit Hearts of Oak and stop the production line from having any significant, sustained spell of possession in the vital areas. David Oppong Afranie, who was the anchorman for Hearts, was completely shut down, forcing him to often pass to the center backs (Kelvin Osei Asibey and Ali Mohammed.
Didi Dramani’s main creative outlet in pre-season has been from central midfield and out wide on the right.
In central areas, that responsibility fell mostly to new signing Abdul Karim, who excelled in GHALCA Top 4. On Friday night, however, there was none of that brilliance as he was shackled by Kwadwo Boamah. Although an attacking midfielder, Boamah interpreted his role excellently, chasing Karim even when someone else in Hearts’ colors had the ball.
If the plan worked, it did because Richard Obeng, United’s holding midfielder, played the role of a conductor in addition to keeping Hussein Mohammed quiet all evening.
The quality of his distribution allowed United to turnover quickly, while his movements off the ball ate up space that channels that Frank Duku would have occupied whenever he dropped deep to receive the ball.
Out wide, John Allosode kept Martin Karikari quite on the right.
The approach to that was a bit different. While they clogged up the central spaces, United trusted the left back to handle Karikari on his own, and we would soon see why. He was athletic, tidy in the tackle with a GE9X turbofan engine to go with!
In the end, it was a reminder of Liberty Professionals, the club from which Hohoe United were formed.
The other view point, is from Didi Dramani’s and how he could not win this match.
Hearts Oak’s opening day jitters
Since Sam Yeboah’s winner against New Edubiase on 21st February 2016, was the last time Hearts of Oak won on the opening weekend of the league.
In fact, they have not scored a goal on the opening day of the season in a decade.
On Friday, the trend continued.
Could Didi Dramani have approached the game differently? Yes.
It is difficult to understand why Hearts of Oak would start a league game at home with five defenders, the fifth being a center back masquerading as a holding midfielder in David Oppong Afranie.
He is useful when defending, but what else?
The team suffers because of his limited pass selection and range, ability to dribble out of the press when necessary, and the progressive instincts of a natural central midfielder.
Raphael Amponsah is a better, more natural fit for the role than Afranie has ever been.
Amponsah’s omission was disappointing but it was stranger to see George Paaku left out for Enoch Asubonteng.
Paaku eventually came on after 65 minutes, but to little effect due to the team’s dysfunctional shape.
Hearts worked a treat when they had Paaku, Hussein, Karim, and Amponsah/Afranie all on the pitch at the same time.
It was how they beat Kotoko.
It was how they came from two goals down against Bibiani Gold Stars to force a draw.
That set up would have neutralized United’s numerical advantage and given Hearts more creative options in the second phase of their build-up.
In the end, he did not, and it is another season without a goal on the opening weekend, the tenth year in a row.
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