In a highly anticipated 2025/26 Ghana Premier League Super Clash, Asante Kotoko secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday. The match, which was tightly contested throughout, was ultimately decided by a controversial penalty awarded by referee Reginald Collins Amoah just before halftime.
The game’s defining moment came in the 45th minute when Hearts defender Amankwah Baafi made a clumsy challenge on Kotoko’s Peter Amidu Acquah inside the box. Despite strong protests from the Hearts players, referee Amoah pointed to the penalty spot, giving Kotoko a golden opportunity to take the lead.
Guinean forward Morifing Donzo stepped up to take the penalty and made no mistake, calmly converting past Hearts goalkeeper Abalora to give Kotoko the 1-0 advantage.
The penalty decision sparked a heated debate among fans and pundits alike, with many questioning the referee’s judgment on the foul. Nevertheless, Donzo’s spot-kick proved to be the only goal of the match, giving Kotoko a crucial win.
After the break, Hearts of Oak came out determined to find an equalizer. The Phobians created several opportunities, with Raphael Amponsah coming close with a powerful long-range shot that narrowly missed the target. Another chance came when a blocked pass denied Hamza Issah a potential scoring opportunity.
The pressure mounted as the game progressed, and in stoppage time, Mawuli Wayo thought he had scored an equalizer with a stunning strike. However, the referee ruled out the goal for offside after consulting with his assistants, leaving Hearts of Oak to rue what could have been a dramatic late comeback.
While Hearts struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, Kotoko started the match the brighter of the two teams. Early chances from Saaka Dauda and Hubert Gyau showed that the Porcupine Warriors were eager to dominate the game. However, Hearts gradually found their footing and began to build momentum as the first half wore on.
Despite Hearts’ strong second-half showing, the statistics from the game reflected a balanced contest. Kotoko registered six shots, three of which were on target, while Hearts could only muster five shots, with just one on goal.
