Morifing Donzo strike leads Asante Kotoko to Super Clash victory over Hearts of oak

Asante Kotoko are returning to Kumasi with a delightful 1-0 victory over Hearts of Oak in the first Super Clash of the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season, thanks to a solitary strike from Guinean forward Morifing Donzo.

The Phobians, playing as the host, started the game brightly, mounting immediate pressure on the visitors.

However, the defense of the Porcupine Warriors neutralised the threat, allowing their team to gradually grow into the game.

Twenty minutes into the first half, fans were on the edge of their seats as a result of an end-to-end battle between the two teams that saw Saaka Dauda causing a lot of problems for the Hearts of Oak defense.

The best chance of the first 30 minutes fell to Morifing Donzo in the 29th minute, but his teasing heading missed the target after beating goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.

A few minutes later, Peter Amidu Acquah was put through on goal and should have scored. Unfortunately, his curling effort was bizarre and missed the target to the shock of the fans.

After multiple failed attempts at goal, Asante Kotoko finally broke the deadlock in he 44th minute when the team was awarded a penalty kick.

Misfiring striker Morifing Donzo stepped up and converted expertly from 12 yards to give the Reds a narrow lead to take into the break.

Early in the second half, Didi Dramani introduced Martin Karikari into the game to inject more quality into Hearts of Oak’s attack.

The skilful winger made an immediate impact, calling the shots for the Phobians and using his trickery to torment the Asante Kotoko defense.

Despite the attacking threat, Hearts of Oak still struggled to break down the defense of the visitors.

A little after the hour mark, Donzo was given another opportunity to make it 2-0 for Asante Kotoko when he was gifted a pass by Hearts of Oak defender Kelvin Osei Asibey. His shot at goal was blocked, keeping Hearts of Oak in the game.

From there on, there was nothing to separate the two teams in terms of possession, as Kotoko held on to secure a 1-0 victory away from home.

Asante Kotoko’s Samba O’Neil was adjudged Man of the Match for his spectacular performance in defence.