The age-old rivalry between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak lived up to its legendary status on Sunday, July 6, as the Porcupine Warriors snatched a 2-1 comeback victory and lifted their ninth President’s Cup at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Hearts thought they had it all wrapped up when Hamza Issah pounced on a rare blunder from Kotoko’s goalkeeper Mohammed Camara in the 27th minute, slotting home into an open net after Camara spilled a cross. The Phobians fans were already dreaming of glory…
But Kotoko weren’t about to hand over their crown so easily.
Right after the break, the Warriors stormed back. Peter Amidu Acquah made a cheeky run down the left, setting up a deflected equaliser that silenced the Hearts faithful.
And before the Phobians could catch their breath, Kwame Poku calmly tapped in the go-ahead goal to flip the script and leave Hearts wondering what just happened.
Poku had a golden chance to put the game out of reach but somehow missed a sitter — proving that even the best can slip up under pressure.
The drama peaked when Hearts were awarded a penalty — the perfect moment to force a nail-biting finish. But Emmanuel Amankwah’s spot-kick was heroically denied by none other than Camara, who redeemed his earlier mistake with a stunning save.
Hearts threw everything they had at Kotoko in the final minutes but just couldn’t find the equaliser.
In the end, Kotoko walked away with the trophy and bragging rights, leaving Hearts licking their wounds — and the rivalry as fiery as ever.
