'I think we also have good players like Aduana'- Ibrahim Tanko

Medeama SC head coach Ibrahim Tanko says his side have the quality to compete with Aduana FC as the defending champions prepare to host their rivals in Sunday's Ghana Premier League encounter at the T&A Park in Tarkwa.

The Round 8 fixture presents Medeama with an opportunity to return to winning ways after suffering their first defeat of the 2026/27 campaign, while Aduana will be aiming to build on their recent victory and strengthen their position in the title race.

Tanko believes both teams have players capable of making a difference but insists Medeama must develop the right approach to secure all three points on home soil.

“I think we also have good players like them, so definitely, we are going to map out our strategy, with the hope that we’ll get our three points here,” he said.

The Tarkwa-based side suffered a 2-1 defeat against FC Samartex last weekend, bringing an end to their unbeaten start to the season.

Despite that setback, Medeama remain among the leading contenders for the league title, sitting third in the standings with 14 points from seven matches.

Their attacking strength has been a major feature of their campaign, with the defending champions having scored 13 goals — the highest tally in the division.

Tanko will be hoping his players can rediscover their winning form against an Aduana side that arrives in Tarkwa with renewed confidence after beating AshantiGold 1-0 in their previous fixture.

Aduana occupy fourth place with 13 points, just one behind Medeama, and could move closer to the top of the table with a positive result away from home.

The narrow gap between the two sides underlines the importance of Sunday's encounter, with both clubs seeking to maintain their challenge in an increasingly competitive title race.

Medeama will have the advantage of playing in front of their home supporters at the T&A Park, but Tanko is aware that Aduana have enough quality to make the contest difficult.

The coach's comments suggest that his side will need to combine their attacking strengths with an effective tactical plan if they are to overcome their opponents.

Both clubs have a strong history in Ghanaian football, having won the Premier League twice each, adding further significance to their latest meeting.

Their previous encounters have also demonstrated how closely matched they are. During the 2025/26 season, when Medeama went on to claim the league title, neither side managed to defeat the other in their two league meetings.

The first encounter in Dormaa ended in a goalless draw before the reverse fixture finished 1-1, with both teams settling for a share of the points.

Those results provide further evidence of the competitive nature of the fixture, although Medeama will be eager to secure a different outcome this time as they look to recover from their first loss of the campaign.

With only one point separating the sides in the standings, Sunday's meeting could have an important bearing on their early-season ambitions.

Medeama will be targeting victory to protect their position among the leading teams, while Aduana have the opportunity to draw level on points with their hosts and increase the pressure on the clubs above them.

The encounter at the T&A Park is therefore expected to be a closely contested test between two sides with ambitions of challenging for the Ghana Premier League crown.