Soccer News of Tuesday, 22 February 2005

Source: GNA

Lions- RTU showdown for Thursday

Accra, Feb 22, GNA - The two debutants of this year's Coca Cola Top Four tournament, Kpando Heart of Lions and Real Tamale United 9RTU) would on Thursday February 24, meet for the second time in the competition, to clear their much-publicised outstanding match. The game, originally scheduled for Wednesday was pushed a day forward to facilitate the smooth running of the Inter-Schools and Colleges Sports Festival currently underway at the Ohene Djan's Sports Stadium, venue of the game.

Both teams occupy the last two positions on the four-team table and are therefore expected to sell a cracker if their performance in their last game is anything to go by.

Even though the Lions look the favourites against the "Pride of the North" who until their shocking 1-0 victory that cut shot the unbeaten run of table leaders, King Faisal, RTU had remained the "whipping boys" of the tourney, and most connoisseurs of the globular leather anticipate a good and uncompromising game.

Lions trail Faisal and Hearts of Oak with five points from four games, and a win on Thursday would be a perfect opportunity to join the joint leaders on eight points to send the competition to a photo finish. United who lie at the bottom of the table with only three points, are however expected to play for pride as a win can only temporally change their status from the bottom to the third place with six points from the five games played.

When the two sides met at the Kumasi Sports Stadium in the first round, the Kpando-based team overpowered RTU with a lone goal at a time the latter was picking up the pieces after their 3-0 drubbing from Faisal three days earlier.