Match Report for Week 15: Accra Lions 2, Hearts of Oak 3

After scoring a brace in the last ten minutes to help Hearts of Oak defeat Accra Lions 3-2 at WAFA Park in Sogakope, Mawuli Wayo came off the bench to lead Hearts to a thrilling victory.

Mohammed Hussein had given the previous champions the lead in the first half, but goals from Lucky Nwafor and Ezekiel Alladoh had given the Accra Lions the advantage in the second half.

But shortly after the Lions took the lead, Wayo’s arrival spurred a fierce comeback from the visitors.

Early in the game, the home team nearly took the lead when Tetteh Narh headed in a cross from Edmund Amakye, but the Phobians responded when Saani Mohammed’s cross struck Ahmed Ramzy in the head.

Following a brief end-to-end stretch between the two teams, Kwabena Boateng scored from the edge of the box, but Daniel Afful of the Accra Lions was equal to the task.

The visitors broke the impasse nine minutes before halftime when an unmarked Hussein struck a cross from Saani Mohammed’s right.

Amakye rushed a Hearts player to recover the ball and serviced forward Nwafor, who pushed his way into the box and slotted a home goal for the home team. The Accra Lions returned from the half ready to equalize, and it did not take them long to do so.

Abdul Shakun attempted a cross a minute later, but it missed its mark. Coach Ibrahim Tanko then substituted Alladoh and Blessing Dankwa. After the Lions won a midfield battle, Tetteh Narh was sent through, and in the 73rd minute, the midfielder rounded up the Hearts of Oak goalie to give Alladoh the lead. The substitution had an instant impact.

In the last fifteen minutes, Hearts coach Aboubakar Ouattara substituted Wayo. The former King Faisal hero defeated Afful with a long-range shot five minutes after his arrival.

Two minutes later, Wayo headed over Afful to win the game after winning the ball from Lions defender Issah Mohammed.