Soccer News of Saturday, 11 July 2015

Source: goal.com

Hearts, Medeama slug it out in second FA Cup semi-final

Accra Hearts of Oak Accra Hearts of Oak

Accra Hearts of Oak and Medeama SC will renew their hostilities at the Robert Mensah Stadium in Cape Coast on Sunday as the MTN FA Cup nears another end.

The two sides have already met a couple of times this season across two competitions. They first clashed in Week 3 of the Ghana Premier League back in January which ended 2-2 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Just this mid-week, they met in the Elite Cup - a new competition added to the calendar, which ended goalless at the Tarkwa T and A Park.

Certainly, the deadlock will be broken this Sunday, and whoever does that will be inching closer to a dream of winning a major title this season. Also at stake for the winner is a place in the Caf Confederation Cup.

Hearts of Oak recently reached the last qualifying round of the Confederation Cup, and will surely fancy another stint. Medeama also achieved a similar feat in 2014 after winning the 2013 edition of the FA Cup.

The Phobians, meanwhile, must find a way of dealing with the tension in their camp. A recently leaked tape, alleging that five players were mocking the club’s recent inconsistent results due to non-payment of their salaries has affected their build-up, to some extent.

The winner will be meeting Kumasi Asante Kotoko in the final on August 30. Kotoko beat Aduana Stars 3-1 to reach their third consecutive finals.

If Medeama win, the final match will be a repeat of the 2013 encounter, which went the way of the Yellow and Mauves.

Meanwhile, most fans will be relishing a Kotoko-Hearts final. The two sides have met twice this season. Hearts won both matches, in the Ghana Premier League and the President’s Cup.