TEAM NEWS
Hearts of Oak: Robin Gnagne is fit to play after recovering from a groin injury. Goalkeeper Soulama Abdoulaye is on international duty with Burkina Faso at the 2015 Equatorial Guinea AFCON.
Defender Vincent Atinga and Seidu Mutawakil have returned from the camp of the Black Meteors and will join up with the team for the midweek game.
Berekum Chelsea: Berekum Chelsea have sold two of their most exciting players, Jackson Owusu and Obed Owusu to Premiership rivals.
MATCH PREVIEW
Berekum Chelsea will host Accra Hearts of Oak in the match-day 2 of the 2014/15 First Capital Plus Premier League on Wednesday at the Essipong Sports Stadium due to a home ban. Herbert Addo’s side started the season with a perfect take off, beating WAFA SC 1-0 at the Kpando Park in the first game of the season last Saturday, courtesy a second half strike from striker Gilbert Fiamenyo.
Berekum Chelsea were beaten1-0 in far away Wa by Wa AllStars, but are returning to play away from home against the Phobians. The Berekum side have a good record against Hearts at their home venue, the Berekum Golden City Park, where they have beaten Hearts five times in their last six meetings. However, moving of the game to the Essipong Sports Stadium is an advantage for Herbert Addo’s side, who will not come up against the roguish shenanigans of the Berekum home support this season.
Herbert Addo admitted he has tough choices to make when it comes to the selection of players, and this luxurious problem would be compounded the more with the return of defender Vincent Atinga and young goalkeeper Seidu Mutawakil from the camp of the Black Meteors.
Captain Robin Gnange also has recovered from a groin injury, but Herbert says he will not risk the defender. “He is fit but not 100%. He could have played today [against WAFA] but I didn’t want to risk him. He needs to play about one or two friendly matches to see how he copes with that type of competition,” coach Addo said.
Center backs Abraziz Abankwa and Kweku Andoh policed the Hearts defense to near perfection against WAFA last Saturday, and so would be hoping to continue their partnership against the Berekum side in midweek, to the pleasure of coach Addo.
Head Coach Herbert Addo is also counting on the ‘neutral ground’ factor and says the venue might just help his team to score a lot of goals on Wednesday.
“We are playing on a neutral ground and so I am hoping that the performance will be just as good as this or even better. The playing field at Essipong is better than what we faced today so I hope we will find our passes in the final third and score a lot of goals,” he said.
Gilbert Fiamenyo is also hitting form at the right time, and strikers Selasi Adjei, Gerald Odupong, Kenneth Okoro, Foovi Aguidi and Hamza Mohammed might have to wait in line for their chance. The Togolese striker, Foovi Aguidi, has been convalescing, but despite playing for close to 20 minutes at Kpando, he will need to fight more for the team, if he is to maintain his role in the team.
Herbert Addo’s side have the opportunity to technically end Hearts’ six-year wait without a win at the home of Berekum Chelsea this Wednesday, and they will have to take their chances if they are to overcome the Berekum giants.
HEAD TO HEAD The two sides have met 12 times since Berekum Chelsea’s promotion to the 2008/09 season. Hearts have won only 3, drawn 4, and lost 5 in the 12 league encounters against Berekum Chelsea. 22 goals have been scored in this fixture with the visitors leading the way with 12 against Hearts’ 10 in 12 games.
Gilbert Fiamenyo has scored three times in his last two league appearances for Hearts against Berekum Chelsea, all at the Accra Sports Stadium. He netted a double in a 3-0 win over the Berekum side in the 2012/13 season, and during the most previous season, clinched the only goal of the game on his first start of the season in a 1-0 home win. 2008 / 2009 Bechem Chelsea 2-0 Hearts Hearts 1-1 Berekum Chelsea 2009 / 2010 Hearts 2-1 Berekum Chelsea Berekum Chelsea 1-1 Hearts 2010 / 2011 Hearts 1-1 Berekum Chelsea Berekum Chelsea 1-0 Hearts 2011 / 2012 Hearts 0-0 Berekum Chelsea Berekum Chelsea 2-1 Hearts 2012 / 2013 Berekum Chelsea 2-0 Hearts Hearts 3-0 Berekum Chelsea 2012 / 2013 Hearts 1-0 Berekum Chelsea Berekum Chelsea 1-0 Hearts 2013 / 2014 Berekum Chelsea 1-0 Hearts
SOURCE: Accraheartsofoak.com