TEAM NEWS:
Soulama Abdoulaye has finished his three game suspension but he is away on international duty with Burkina Faso.
Musah Ibrahim is a doubt for the game after picking up a knock in the 1-1 draw encounter with Aduana Stars.
Samudeen Ibrahim and Musah Inusah are the closest to a first team return after training with the full squad on their return from injury.
But Richard Yamoah, Owusu Bempah, and Thomas Abbey are not too far behind in terms of full fitness.
Isaac Oduro is making good progress but he is still out on the sidelines.
MATCH PREVIEW:
Accra Hearts of Oak will host Liberty Professionals in a match-day 14 fixture of the 2016 Ghana Premier League 9GPL) at the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday, 26May, 2016.
The game will be played behind closed doors as Hearts complete the final game of a two-game home ban.
Hearts picked up a valuable away point at the home of Aduana Stars last Sunday, to maintain their lead at the top of the table, two points ahead of both Aduana Stars and Asante Kotoko, and they have a good opportunity to pull away from the chasing pack with victory against the Scientific Soccer lads on Thursday.
The Phobians have found it hard getting results at the Accra Sports Stadium, but they grained out a 1-0 victory over Hasaacas in the last match-day, behind closed doors.
Hearts will once again play without the fans against Liberty Professionals, who seem to have lost their mojo after a brilliant start.
The Dansoman-based side can turn on the style when they want and they have been able to rock the boat of the Phobians in recent times.
Liberty have a game in hand against Medeama, and played their game against New Edubiase United on Monday after the fixture was rained off the previous day. But they have won five times from their opening 11 games this season. Four of their wins have come at Dansoman but their away form reads played six, won one, drawn two, and lost three times.
Whizz-kid Latif Blessing has been the driving force of the free-scoring Scientific Soccer lads this season, having registered nine goals from 11 games and the Hearts defense have to keep a proper eye on his movements if they are to stop him from scoring on the day.
The Hearts defense have succeeded in keeping two of the three leading scorers in the Ghana League quiet, having enervated Eric Bekoe and frustrated Yahaya Mohammed. But the conundrum for coach Keni is which of the two center backs, Vincent Atingah and Richard Akrofi, will he give the nod to partner Robin Gnange.
Hearts have won 50% of their six home games, having defeated New Edubiase United (1-0), Bechem United (3-1), and Sekondi Hasaacas (1-0). But two defeats have also followed to Wa AllStars (1-3) and Asante Kotoko (0-1) and a draw with WAFA (1-1).
However, Coach Kenichi’s side will have to be ruthless at home, and start marching their away performance with that at the Accra Sports Stadium where they have found it tough cracking down opponents. The margin for error for Hearts is minimal now with three teams closely giving them a hot chase for the top-spot, and so they will have to come out firing on all cylinders to keep top spot against Liberty Professionals.
Last season, Liberty totally dominated in the first encounter in Accra, and they should have left with all three points but Hearts fought back to snatch a point through Richard Yamoah’s late header. In the last game between the two sides, Foovi Aguidi scored to ease the Phobians relegation worries in the closing stages of the 2014/15 league season.
The fans will not be allowed into the stadium because of the home ban but the onus lies on the players to replicate the result they secured against Hasaacas by beating Liberty ahead of another dicey trip to Dawu on Sunday.
MATCH FACTS
The two sides have met 32 times since Liberty Professionals’ promotion to the Premier League in 1999. Hearts have triumphed 19 times against Liberty Professionals. Liberty Professionals have won 8 times and drawn 5 times against Hearts of Oak in the league.
80 goals have been scored in this fixture. Hearts lead the way with 49 goals against Liberty’s 31.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
SEASON/YEAR SCORE/RESULT
1999 HEARTS 2 – 0 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 0 – 1 HEARTS
2000 HEARTS 4 – 2 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 3 – 2 HEARTS
2001 HEARTS 4 – 2 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 1 – 3 HEARTS
2002 LIBERTY 1 – 2 HEARTS
HEARTS 0 – 1 LIBERTY
2003 LIBERTY 1 – 1 HEARTS
HEARTS 3 – 1 LIBERTY
2004 HEARTS 3 – 0 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 3 – 0 HEARTS
2005/06 LIBERTY 0 – 1 HEARTS
HEARTS 1 – 0 LIBERTY
2006/07 HEARTS 1 – 1 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 0 – 0 HEARTS
2007/8 HEARTS 1 – 0 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 1 – 2 HEARTS
2008/9 HEARTS 3 – 1 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 0 – 0 HEARTS
2009/10 LIBERTY 0 – 1 HEARTS
HEARTS 2 – 3 LIBERTY
2010/11 HEARTS 0 – 1 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 1 – 2 HEARTS
2011/12 LIBERTY 2 – 0 HEARTS
HEARTS 0 – 1 LIBERTY
2012/13 HEARTS 2 – 0 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 1 – 3 HEARTS
2013/14 HEARTS 2 – 0 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 3 – 1 HEARTS
2014/15 HEARTS 1 – 1 LIBERTY
LIBERTY 0 – 1 HEARTS
2016 HEARTS ? – ? LIBERTY
GPL Matchday 14 Preview: Hearts of Oak v Liberty Professionals
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