Top4: Faisal beat Hearts 1-0

Kumasi, Feb 8, GNA - An 87th minute goal scored by substitute Joe Agyemang Junior gave King Faisal a 1-0 win over Accra Hearts of Oak in the GHALCA/Coca-Cola Top Four Tournament played in Kumasi on Sunday. A free-kick taken outside the penalty box created a melee in the Hearts' goal area and Joe Agyemang who was hovering around slotted the ball into the net for the only goal of the match.

Faisal, determined to atone for their loss to Liberty Professionals last Sunday, started the game with confidence and mounted series of attacks after referee Christine Tetteh signaled for hostilities to begin.

In the 19th minute, Adams Fuseini of Faisal moved deep into the Hearts territory but saw his shot parried to corner by goalkeeper Sammy Adjei.

Hearts counter attacked and missed a good chance of getting the opener in the 20th minute as Samed Okocha shot over the bar while Louis Agyemang also missed narrowly in the 25th minute.

Kwadwo Poku of Faisal who was heavily policed by the Hearts defence broke free in the 26th minute but shot over the bar.

Faisal continued to dictate the pace of the game from then on but messed up the chances that came their way as Ben Wilson wasted a 33rd minute chance while Kwadwo Poku also hit the cross bar in the 38th minute.

The homesters continued to dominate the game on resumption but found the Hearts defence unyielding as they thwarted all the moves made. Left off the hook, Hearts counter attacked but Okocha who was in a good position headed feebly into the waiting hands of goalkeeper Suraj Mohammed from a Don Bortey's cross in the 52nd minute.

Hearts replaced James Boateng who found the going very tough in the 53rd minute with Adjah Tetteh.

The game from then on became a ding-dong affair as the ball swung from one end of the field to the other but with Faisal slightly on top. Both sides exhausted their substitution as Faisal brought in Joe Agyemang for Ben Wilson in the 67th minute, Owusu Ampomah for Kwadwo Poku in the 69th minute while Osei Kofi took over from Godwin Ablordey in the 70th minute.

Hearts also sent in Ablade Morgan for Emmanuel Osei Kuffour in the 71st minute and Don Bortey giving way to Osei Muller in the 79th minute. When everything looked like coasting to a drawn game, Faisal mounted a last minute onslaught and earned a free-kick in the 87th minute when Eric Gawu was brought down in the Hearts vital area and the resultant kick saw Joe Agyemang scoring the only goal of the match. Hanza Mohammed of King Faisal was adjudged the best player of the match.