Football

Crunching the Numbers: 11 Goals, 3 Clean Sheets and 2 Debut Scorers — GPL 2025/26 Opening Day Statistics

By Emmanuel Austin Baah
1

The 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season kicked off with drama, late goals and some big statements. Below is how matchday one unfolded, by the numbers.

Kotoko squeeze past Chelsea late

Asante Kotoko grabbed a 1-0 win at Golden City Park, with Albert Amoah striking in the 80th minute. Kotoko registered 11 shots to Chelsea’s 6, three on target, and shaded possession at 51%.

Hohoe hold Hearts in Accra

New boys Hohoe United earned a battling point in a goalless draw with Hearts of Oak. The Phobians racked up 498 passes at 58% accuracy, but couldn’t find a breakthrough. Hohoe created three clear chances on the counter.

Karela off to a flyer

Malik Abubakar’s strike gave Karela United a 1-0 victory over Aduana Stars in Tamale. Karela managed 7 shots on target compared with Aduana’s 2, showing their attacking intent.

Medeama too strong in Wenchi

The Yellow and Mauves got their campaign up and running with a 2-0 win over Young Apostles. Medeama created 9 attempts with five on target, as the Apostles struggled to contain their firepower.

Other results

Bibiani Gold Stars 2-1 Bechem United (55%-45% possession to Bechem)

Heart of Lions 1-0 Dreams FC (58%-42% possession split)

Nations FC 2-1 Swedru All Blacks (Kweku Baffoe netted All Blacks’ first top-flight goal of the season)

Vision FC 0-0 Samartex (Vision kept their first clean sheet)

Basake Holy Stars 0-0 Eleven Wonders (Wonders made 22 tackles, the most of the round)

By the numbers

11 goals across 8 matches (1.3 per game).

3 clean sheets: Hearts, Vision FC, and Basake Holy Stars.

2 debut goals, including Medeama’s Paul Yeboah in Wenchi.

An opening weekend short on goals but high on effort — and the tone is set for another unpredictable GPL season.

 

Author

  • My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

    I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

    Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

    Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

    I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

    For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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Emmanuel Austin Baah 1201 posts 1 comments

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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