ROUND UP OF MATCH DAY 1 OF GPL: Accra Hearts of Oak fall at home, Title favourites Kumasi Asante Kotoko with a slim win at home, Champions Aduana Stars with a commanding win at home and new boys King Faisal and Great Olympics fail to impress
After 18 months of no domestic league competition in the nation, citizens were thrilled to a much more competitive and entertaining encounters all over the various match venues
The excitement and passion of soccer loving fans could not be hidden anymore as match day 1 saw massive patronage across the match centres and with no incidents of poor officiating or hooliganism recorded across all league centres
Title favourites, Kumasi Asante Kotoko made their intentions known as early as the second minute of their game between Techiman XI Wonders as midfielder mastero Justice Blay opened the scoring to become the first player to net the first league goal of the 2019/20 season as Head coach Maxwell Konadu earn his first league win on his return to the dugout for the Porcupine Warriors
Arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak were stunned at home by Berekum Chelsea as they lost through an Jonah Attuquage sublime finish means Head coach Kim Grant and his charges still have a lot of work to do as the season progresses
Title holders, Aduana Stars were too hot for Inter Allies in Dormaa as a hat-trick from experienced centre forward Yahaya Mohammed and a further goal from Justin Anane sealed a resounding victory for the Dormaa based club
Yahaya Mohammed become the first player to bag a hat-trick on the opening day of the 2019/20 season
Dreams Football Club made life difficult for new boys King Faisal at the Dawu Park as they run out with a convincing 4-1 win with former Wa AllStars star, Emmanuel Ocran hitting a brace with further goals from Issah Ibrahim and Ahmed Dantani before King Faisal grabbed a consolation goal through Latif Mohammed
Two goals from Emmanuel Ocran means, he is the first player to net a brace on the open day of the 2019/20 season
At the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium, AshantiGold SC thrashed new boys Great Olympics by 3-0 thanks to goals from Yussif Mubarick, Amos Addai and inspirational skipper Shafiu Mumuni
A massive away win for Medeama SC against Ebusua Dwarfs at the Cape Coast Stadium with a 3-1 comfortable win as goals from Ebenezer Ackabhi, Prince Opoku and Nana Kofi Babli gave the away side the win with Albert Gaisie scoring for Ebusua Dwarfs
Bechem United also saw off ten men Elmina Sharks at home to record a comfortable 2-0 win as goals from Kwadwo Asamoah and Prince Adu Kwabena seal the results for ‘The Hunters’
Suraj Ibrahim received the first red card of the 2019/20 season following his red card for Elmina Sharks in their defeat against Bechem United
Karela United lost narrowly at home to the academy boys WAFA on match day 1 with a solitary strike from Forson Amankwah sealing all three points
Liberty Professionals labored from 2-0 down to draw at home against the much talked about Legon Cities FC at the Carl Reindoff Park in Dansoman
Two goals from Sulley Sadiq and Captain Jeffrey Degorl gave Legon Cities FC the commanding lead before they collapsed in the later stages of the match through goals from Elvis K. Baffour and Michael Ampadu
Sulley Sadiq made history on the day to become the first player to score in the league for the reborn club Legon Cities FC
KEY STATS AFTER MATCH DAY 1
Ghana Premier League
Matches played =9
Total Goals scored =25
First Half Goals = 9
Second Half Goals = 16
Away Goals = 9
Home Goals = 16
Away wins = 3
(B.chelsea,Medeama and WAFA)
Home wins = 5
Drawn game = 1
( Liberty vs Legon city)
Red card = 1 ( Elmina Sharks)
Top scores
Yahaya Mohammed(3 goals)
LEAGUE TABLE AFTER MATCH DAY 1
By: Kanyiri Suburu Lucio/@SuburuAbdulai