The Ghana Premier League began with – well there’s no way around it – a bang, over the weekend.
Surprise results, emphatic scorelines and very conspicuous stadium arrivals ensured that the long-awaited start to the season did not disappoint.
Here are a few of the standout numbers from a very eventful Gameweek One:
We have liftoff
18 teams are taking part in the extended Ghana Premier League and all of them were in action on Sunday in 9 matches, obviously the largest ever matchday in the top flight’s history. Of those games, only one ended in a draw, with Liberty Professionals and Legon Cities sharing the points in a 2-2 thriller.
Home away from home
Away wins usually come at a premium in the Ghana Premier League so Berekum Chelsea, WAFA and Medeama deserve a mention for stunning opening day wins at Accra Hearts of Oak, Karela and Ebusua Dwarfs. Five away wins from nine matches is still par for the course though with Bechem United, Asante Kotoko, Ashgold, Aduana and Dreams FC sending their fans home happy.
Goals galore
25 goals were scored in total across the nine matches, with every venue witnessing at least one goal. Six clubs – Hearts of Oak, Elmina Sharks, Eleven Wonders, Accra Great Olympics, Inter Allies and Karela – failed to find the net on Sunday. Aduana and Dreams FC were the Matchday’s highest scorers, netting four each with Medeama and Ashgold finding the net four times each. Dreams FC’s 4-1 win over King Faisal was the highest-scoring game of the weekend followed by Aduana’s walloping of Inter Allies, Medeama’s 3-1 win a Dwarfs and the thriller between Liberty and Legon City at Dansoman.
Early bird
Kotoko were off the mark quicker than anyone else this season, as Justice Blay put them ahead inside two minutes against Eleven Wonders which was pretty important as well, as it was the only goal they scored in a very difficult game.
Golden Boy
Yahaya Mohammed has a knack for scoring bags of goals in the Ghana Premier League. He started off the new season in style with a hat-trick for Aduana against Inter Allies. Only one other player, Dreams FC’s Emmanuel Okran, managed to score more than one goal with his brace against King Faisal.
Top of the pile
Aduana’s huge win gives them an early lead in the fledgeling Premier League table with their ‘victims’ stuck at the bottom. Asante Kotoko are in 7th with Accra Hearts of Oak in 11th after their opening day defeat.