Ghana Premier League: Asante Kotoko edge Hearts of Oak 1–0 in tense Super Clash encounter

Asante Kotoko earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over archrivals Hearts of Oak on Sunday in their first Super Clash of the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season, with Guinean forward Morifing Donzo’s first-half strike proving decisive.

Playing at home, Hearts of Oak began brightly, putting the Porcupine Warriors under early pressure.

However, Kotoko’s defense stood firm, allowing the visitors to gradually find their rhythm.

Twenty minutes in, the game turned into a thrilling end-to-end contest, with Saaka Dauda causing plenty of problems for the Hearts backline.

The best chance of the opening half fell to Donzo in the 29th minute, but his glancing header narrowly missed the target after beating goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.

Moments later, Peter Amidu Acquah had a golden opportunity to score but sent his curling effort wide, much to the disbelief of the fans.

Kotoko finally broke the deadlock in the 44th minute after being awarded a penalty. Morifing Donzo, who had earlier missed a good chance, made no mistake this time, calmly converting from the spot to give the Reds a 1–0 lead heading into halftime.

In the second half, Hearts coach Didi Dramani brought on Martin Karikari to spark the attack, and the winger made an instant impact with his skill and pace, troubling the Kotoko defense. Despite the renewed energy, the Phobians struggled to find a breakthrough.

Around the hour mark, Donzo had another chance to double Kotoko’s lead after a misplaced pass from defender Kelvin Osei Asibey, but his effort was blocked.

Both sides battled hard until the final whistle, but Kotoko’s solid defending ensured they left Accra with all three points. Samba O’Neil was named Man of the Match for his outstanding defensive display.

The victory marks a statement performance for Asante Kotoko, who return to Kumasi with bragging rights from Ghana’s biggest football rivalry.