NC Special Cup: Kotoko beat Hearts on penalties to reach finals
Captain Amos Frimpong scored the decisive spot-kick as Asante Kotoko beat Hearts of Oak on 5-4 penalties to reach the finals of the Normalisation Committee Special Cup tier 1 on Sunday.
After regulation time ended with the score level at 1-1, defender Mohammed Alhassan’s penalty hit the post before Amos stepped up to score the winning kick and earn his side a final date with Karela United, who shocked 1-0 AshantiGold in the other semi-final game.
In a dramatic match, Kotoko took the lead through Fatawu Safiu’s exceptional finish in the fourth minute. The attacker, who failed to make the Black Stars final squad for the Afcon, drilled home from close range after Naby Keita’s backheel pass.
The Porcupine Warriors looked to be cruising through to the finals, only for Hearts to be awarded a penalty in the 94th minute after Kotoko defender Evans Owusu stopped a goal-bound effort with his hand.
Christopher Bonney converted the spot-kick to send the game to penalties which Kotoko won after defender Mohammed Alhassan, who was also left out of the final Black Stars squad for the Afcon, missed his spot kick.
Kotoko will face karela United in the finals on June 23. The winner will play in the CAF Champions League next year.
CK Akonnor’s side can reach another final on Wednesday when they take on AshantiGold in the semi-finals of the NC Special Cup tier 2.