Kumasi Asante Kotoko defied all odds to win away against Heart of Lions at Kpando in their 21-week premiership duel on Sunday. Aziz Ansah scored the lone goal of the match on the 14th minute when he curled in a free kick from about 20 yards.

The looping ball eluded everybody including Kotoko attackers and the Lions defenders as well as keeper Mozart Adjetey whose only duty was to retrieve the ball from the net.

The match watched by a large crowd started on a very fast note with the Lions creating three decent chances within the first five minutes. Lions Sadat Bukari, however made weather of the chances as he was ably tamed by Daniel Acquah, Godfried Yeboah, Issah Ahmed and William Thompson who formed a four-man defensive wall for Kotoko.

With half an hour gone, Kotoko came into the picture and Lions Jerry Akaminko and Jonathan Quartey had to work overtime to keep Nasiru Ghani and Nana Arhin Duah at bay.

On the 40th minute, Arhin Duah had an easy chance to double the count for Kotoko when he went behind the Lions defence and with keeper Adjetey on the wrong foot, the striker surprisingly scooped the ball over the top.

At the interval, a local brass band played the Akpini State anthem and the Lions responded by pinning Kotoko to their own half for a considerable spell, but the striking duo of Eric Bekoe and Bukari could not trouble Eric Nii Baah in goal for Kotoko.

The only serious Lions attempt at goal was a grounder from Sadat, which required spectacular action from Nii Baah, as the young goalie sprawled full length to tip the ball over the left upright for a corner kick but the effort was wasted.

The sustained pressure of the attackers of Lions offered them an opportunity to kick from the spot in the 89th minute when Bukari was appended in the box by Ahmed, but referee Joshua Mensah from Cape Coast ignored the infringement to the amazement and anger of the home fans.