Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko will revive their rivalry at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, Accra on Wednesday in the President’s Cup.

This will be the second time in ten years that Kotoko and Hearts will be playing in the President’s Cup: in 2005 George Yamoah’s goal secured the Reds a sweet victory.

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Unlike their encounter in 2005, both sides are not playing the best of football in the country: Hearts of Oak are lying 11 on the league with 26 points and have even won just a game in their last 7 premier league games, while Kotoko too are placed 8 on the league log with 28 points and the have had an inconsistent performance this season.

However, the story is different in the FA Cup, as both teams have booked a place in the semifinals of the competition and there is the possibility of Hearts-Kotoko final, because they won’t play against each other in the semis.

Foovi Agudi (main picture) has been leading the Hearts of Oak attack in recent times. Meanwhile Selassie Adjei returned from injury in the week-end to score Hearts of Oak’s equalizer against B. A united in Sunyani in a game that ended 1-1.

Ahmed Toure (below, left), Asante Kotoko’s top scorer in the First Capital Plus Premier League has been consistent for some time now, having scored in his last three league games, while Hearts’ maskman Gilbert Fiamenyo, who has scored 8 leagues has been starting from the bench, because he is out of form.

Jordan Opoku who came under serious criticisms has been putting up good show in Kotoko’s  recent games, but they will be without the league cum FA Cup’s best defender last season, Abeiku Ainooson due to an injury he suffered in the week-end in their 2-1 win over Bechem United.

The Porcupine Warriors have won their last two games in all competition: beat the league leaders 2-0 in the FA Cup, before a late goal gave them a 2-1 victory over the Bechem lads in the league.

GHALCA, the organisers have paid an amount of GHC 50, 000 each of the monies they received from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

Hearts of Oak are the most successful club in the President’s Cup history with three titles and both Kotoko and Berekum Chelsea have won the competition two apiece.

The build up to the game has been slow because the two clubs were officially confirmed in about 48 hour to the kickoff by GHALCA, who are the organizers, after snubbing Ashgold whom they had earlier written to them to participate in the competition.

The President of the Republic of Ghana John Dramani Mahama who has a busy schedule won’t be in attendance, hence his Vice Paa kwesi Amissah Arthur will rather grace the occasion.

This is the first time Hearts of Oak and Kotoko will be playing on Wednesday, after the May 9 stadium disaster that killed 127 souls at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday May 9 2001.The Okudzeto Commission which was set up to investigate the causes of the stadium disaster and recommend measures to avoid future happenings came out that Hearts-Kotoko games shouldn’t take come off on Wednesdays and also shouldn’t be played under floodlight amongst other several recommendations

However, the issue of non-Wednesday matches is  that in midweeks the security personal are mostly engaged by other things, hence a game between these two clubs won’t get the full attention of the security personnel, like what happened on May 9, but President’s Cup is on a holiday a day most offices won’t operate.

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