Olympics halt Kotoko’s winning streak as they hold them in Kumasi

Accra Great Olympics blocked Asante Kotoko from recording five wins on the bounce after holding them to a goalless draw at the Baba Yara Stadium in their match week 15 fixture of the Ghana Premier League. The Accra based club which was playing as the home team proved to be a tough customer for Kotoko who had won all their four matches preceding the encounter. A win for either side would have strengthened their positions on the league log thereby setting the tone for a cagey encounter which failed to produce any goal. It was an even possession for the first ten minutes as both teams kept their composure and carefully built their attacks from their own halves. No clear chance was created by either side after the first quarter of an hour as they maintained tactical discipline which left little spaces for them to exploit. It was not until the 33rd minute that Kotoko came close to scoring the opener but Steve Mukwala's effort was too slow, allowing the visitors to make clearance before he could hit the ball. The Ugandan import connected a corner kick two minutes later with a powerful header from close range, forcing goalkeeper Benjamin Asare to make a spectacular save. The match remained barren for the rest of the half as referee Imoro Osman brought proceedings to an end. Asante Kotoko was the first to threaten Olympics when the match resumed as they hit the ground running with a swift attack which failed to produce the much needed opener. The Porcupine Warriors continued to press their opponents in search of an early goal to unsettle the 'Dade Boy' who proved to be a force to reckon with in the first half. As the two teams failed to break the virginity of the game 20 minutes into the second half, both coaches made substitutions in an attempt to vary their tactics for the last 20 minutes. The changes would not alter the pattern of play that much as Kotoko continued to maintain their slight dominance. With ten minutes to end proceedings, both teams stepped up their game in their quest to secure the maximum p oints as they created decent chances at both ends of the field. Richmond Lamptey could have sealed victory for the Porcupines on the 88th minute when he missed target by a whisker following a combination of passes in the box. The match ended goalless after six minutes stoppage time as the two teams shared the spoi. Source: Ghana News Agency