This is definitely not the first time the premier league, the passion of the nation, is going to the wire with the two most famous clubs in the country, Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak chasing the Golden Fleece in a neck to neck affair. With only three more games to end the season, only two points separate Hearts and Asante Kotoko from the top of the table. The amazing thing is the sudden turn around of fortunes in the second round of the proceedings when the first round pointed to a straight forward win for Accra Hearts of Oak.

Hearts had built such a commanding lead at the end of the first round and you could obviously see them grabbing the cup midway through the second. But by some irony of fate a sudden loss in form by Hearts coincided with a sudden rise in form of Asante Kotoko which is most unusual in the 50 year old history of the league. And now Hearts have been so stagnant that the 17 points gap between them and defending champions Kotoko has narrowed to two. This is amazing.

As I said, the records show there have been a couple of instances that the two teams who between them have won the title more than all the clubs combined, have staged a photo finish, but for such a wide lead to be surrendered by either of them is completely unheard of. Check the table from 1958.

In the 1961-62 league for example, when Hearts won the cup with only a point ahead of Kotoko it had been close right from the beginning and it was Hearts final outstanding match against Real Republikans that determined the fate of the ultimate winner.

The snag about this particular match was that Republikans were playing the league on non scoring basis. It did not count if they won a match but they could be beaten for two solid points and this is what Hearts did. Those were the days when the rules of the game were so flexible they could be twisted to suit the occasion.

Another exciting finish was the 1979 race won by Hearts with 51 points just one point above second placed Kotoko. It had been close right from the beginning. So this year’s contest is a peculiar situation and football fans are anxious to see whether Hearts can actually live up their motto of “Never say die until the bones are rotten”. It’s a real testing time.

Next Wednesday July 8 ,will see Hearts facing Bechem Chelsea in Accra, then a penultimate fixture against Berekum Arsenals at Berekum before the final match in Accra against bottom of the table Sporting Mirren

Asante Kotoko on the other hand will face former bogey club, Sekondi Hasaacas in Kumasi, then Obuasi Ashgold in the penultimate fixture at Obuasi before the final showdown against. City rivals King Faisal Babies. These are exciting pairings likely to bring the best out of the players and keep fans on their toes, if you ask me.

These are really exciting times in the competition with relegation prone sides also fighting for survival. It is apparent that there is at the moment so much pressure on match officials and it would be to the good of the sport that the organizers would be on the look out to check any funny tricks by the so-called knights of the whistle.

Referee Cecil Fletcher who handled Sunday’s tough match between Asante Kotoko and Liberty Professionals in Accra showed traces of lack of confidence especially in the second half. He could neither take prompt decisions nor stick to one and he ignored glaring infringements that needed no white cane to detect. Shall we say it is by providence that the match ended in a 3-3 draw because supporters of both sides had a lot to complain about his efficiency on the day?

It is accepted by all that football is a game of passion but it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that the football arena remains a place for entertainment and not a graveyard.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.