Asante Kotoko emerged victorious in the 2025 President Cup, defeating Hearts of Oak 2-1 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Phobians dominated the first half, with Hamza Issah scoring the opening goal in the 24th minute after capitalizing on a loose ball from Asante Kotoko goalkeeper, Mohammed Camara.
Hearts of Oak maintained their momentum throughout the first half, but Asante Kotoko staged a remarkable comeback in the second half. Konadu Yiadom’s own goal in the 52nd minute leveled the score, and just two minutes later, Kwame Poku scored the winning goal after another defensive lapse by Hearts of Oak.
Despite a penalty opportunity in the 82nd minute, Hearts of Oak’s Emmanuel Amankwah was unable to equalize, as Asante Kotoko goalkeeper Mohammed Camara made a crucial save.
Post-Match Reactions
Hearts of Oak head coach, Didi Dramani, acknowledged his team’s inability to capitalize on their dominance:
“It is part of the industry at a time when we were controlling. we lost a key player and then it was difficult to reshuffle.”
Asante Kotoko head coach, Karim Zito, expressed his satisfaction with the win: “The plan is to come to win… we specify our supporters with the present cup.” Zito praised his team’s mentality and execution in the second half.
Winning goal scorer Kwame Poku said, “We are very, very happy for ourselves, for our technical team… this is just a stepping stone for all of us. We’re looking forward to winning as much as possible.”
The President’s Cup is played to honor the sitting president. President John Dramani Mahama, who was in attendance, kicked the ball off before the game began.
