Heart of Lions coach Bashir Hayford has taken a thinly veiled dig at Asante Kotoko after securing a 1-0 win over the Porcupine Warriors.

Godfred Kwadwo Asamoah's second half finish was enough to secure maximum points at the Kpando Stadium.

The former Medeama midfielder found space in the penalty area to finish just after the interval.

Known for his colourful post-match comments, Bashir Hayford was not going to pass up the opportunity to remind Kotoko of their day of shame against Lions, twenty years ago.

"This is the second history I've made for Lions against Kotoko. The first one was when we won the GHALCA Top 4 tournament."

"We played the same Kotoko, we beat them, and they took their ball and walked off the pitch before the match ended," he said.

On his latest conquest, Bashir Hayford disclosed what the trick was.

"As for Kotoko, I've been coaching other teams to meet them, and I don't think they've ever been a problem for me."

"So I told them (the Lions players) not to fear. The name is big, but they should not fear them."

"Some of them hear the name Kotoko and they start panicking, so I psyched them and told them that, yes, it is one of the biggest clubs in Africa but doesn't mean we cannot play them," he said.

Since his appointment, Bashir Hayford has won three of the four league matches, with the only blemish being a 2-2 draw with defending champions, Medeama SC.

Lions are now temporarily out of the drop zone with 18 points.

Saturday's defeat was Kotoko's first in eight matches.

Prosper Ogum’s side had previously not lot been beaten in seven consecutive matches but struggled to cope with Lions intensity.

Kotoko remain in third placed with 29 points but could fall further behind if any of Samartex 96, Aduana, Nsoatreman United, and Berekum Chelsea win their matches this weekend.

Saturday’s match was the first Ghana Premier League game at the Kpando Sports Stadium in nine years.