The Ghana Premier League enters the second round across nine League Centres this weekend. The first half of the 2021/22 season which ended last weekend, witnessed a number of high profile matches with the match between Champions Accra Hearts of Oak and rivals Asante Kotoko bringing to a close the first chapter.
Asante Kotoko ended the first half of the season as table toppers holding out a 7 point lead at the top. One of the sides that struggled in the first round is Sogakope based WAFA. The Academy boys’ ended the first round on a sour note following a 1-0 loss to Karela United at the WAFA arena to remain in the bottom half of the table – 16th place with 18 points after 17 matches.
This weekend, WAFA welcome King Faisal to the WAFA Park on Match Day 18 of the Ghana Premier League. Playing at home presents an opportunity for them to turn their season around and also avenge the defeat suffered in the hands of King Faisal at the Baba Yara Sports stadium in the first round.
Star player Lawrence Agyekum who was the toast of fans and one of their best materials, has signed for Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg during the January window – creating a void in the team.
WAFA won 4, lost 7 and drew 6 of the matches in the first round – scoring 9 and conceding 15 goals in the process - a defensive crisis that calls for worry for Coach Guillermo Hamdan Zaragoza.
King Faisal lost their spark in the closing stages of the first round having started the League in an explosive manner with three consecutive wins against WAFA, Aduana FC and AshantiGold SC. But defeats to Eleven Wonders, Great Olympics, Karela United and Hearts of Oak pushed them down the League log from 1st place to the 5th position.
They had some eye-catching away results which involved the 3-1 win at Aduana Stars and the famous 3-2 win over Asante Kotoko in the Oseikrom derby.
Coach Nurudeen Amadu must find the right team chemistry to outwit his opponent in the match on Friday, knowing the strength of WAFA especially at home.
Players like Zubeiru Ibrahim, Mawuli Wayo, Osman Ibrahim and Enoch Morisson must play above themselves to win at WAFA having suffered a 4-3 defeat when they last visited the WAFA Park in November 2020.
The match which is scheduled for the WAFA Park at Sogakope on Friday, February 24, 2022 will be live on StarTimes Adaepa channel 247.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS