Aduana Stars confirmed their capture of the 2017 Ghana Premier League on Match Day 29 after they beat Elmina Sharks 2-1 in Dormaa.
They had to come back from a goal down to win the match and grab the second title in the club’s history.
But beneath the success lies some very interesting statistics that helped them achieve the feat with one game to spare in the league.
15- The number of unbeaten matches Aduana were able to put together at home during the season and they topped the charts for the best home record in the league.
They gave a proper meaning to the idea of home grounds being a fortress. The kept all their guests away from three points whenever they were at the Nana Agyemang Badu Park in Dormaa.
On the odd day when Aduana Stars could not find the net, they managed to shut their doors and windows to their opponents.
That happened only three times at home and it was against Medeama in March, Wa All Stars in April, and Asante Kotoko in June.
10- The number of unbeaten games Aduana Stars got on their travels.
The Ghana Premier League is very ruthless to teams on the road. It is almost certain that anytime you leave your home ground, you will return with very little.
But Aduana Stars got 18 points from their away matches (four wins, 6 draws and 4 losses). Their resilience was on display when they got a 3-3 draw in Accra against Hearts of Oak.
For many pundits, that was the greatest indicator of their intention to win the league title and they duly delivered.
43- The number of goals Aduana Stars scored throughout the season. Goals win matches and winning a good number of them will give you a title and Yusif Abubakar, coach of Aduana, helped the team grab goals.
Their top scorer, Nathaniel Asamoah, got only 7 goals out of the 43 but that shows how rounded they were. Derrick Sasraku, Noah Martey, and the rest of the team contributed adequately to support the title run.
21- The number of goals Aduana Stars let in across the season. Goals win you matches but defences will get you championships, they say.
Aduana must have have studied that maxim because they did not give a lot away.
Only 21 goals went into their net and that was the second-best defensive record in the league. Only WAFA did better with 18 and they will finish second (by virtue of a better head-to-head record against Hearts of Oak even if Hearts win their final match and finish tied with WAFA on 50 points).
It certainly was a great season for Aduana Stars and they can look forward to getting their crown against AshGold on the final day of the season.
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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana