Hearts To Build Stadium With Winnings

Newly-crowned African club champions, Accra Hearts of Oak of Ghana, are planning to build a stadium with the winnings from their first continental title.

Hearts of Oak will collect about $500,000 for playing from the group phase of the Champions League up to the final of the competition in 2000. They would win double that, if they can retain the African title in 2001. Thousands of dollars more could be added to that from participating in the $8 million Club World Cup in Spain next year.

The financial windfall could not come at a better time for the Ghanaian champions, celebrating 89 years of existence this year with a treble - a domestic league and Cup double with the Champions League title.

Hearts have purchased a land outside Accra with cash partly from the previous two Champions League season and transfer of players overseas.

It is the club's aim to earn their first million dollars by the time the club turns 90 on November 11 next year and establish a landmark sports complex at the new site. A committee has been formed to carry through the project, which would be the first step to transforming the side into a "super club".

Another committee has been set up to recruit worthy players for the club's title defence due to start with a home tie against Etoile of Congo on April 1.

Goal king, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, the scorer of 10 goals in the Champions League is set to move abroad and there are also rumours that his striking partner, Ishmael Addo could join him in an inevitable exodus.

Obuasi Goldfields club is currently the only Ghanaian side with its own stadium and facilities, including a football academy affiliated to Holland's Ajax Amsterdam.

Goldfields were the last Ghanaian side in the final of the Champions League at its inception in 1997, but lost to Raja Casablanca of Morocco in a penalty shoot-out.

Hearts of Oak may be eight years older than the Tunisians they defeated to win the Champions League on Sunday, but Esperance are by far richer. The Tunisian side have facilities that could match their counterparts in Europe and can afford to buy foreign players and coaches.

Accra Sports Stadium is the home venue of Hearts, but most of the time the club practices on rough ground at the city's seaside.

This has been CAF's main objective for introducing the Champions League. It wants African clubs and associations to develop their infrastructure and the domestic leagues, which would gradually offset the massive exodus of the continent's brightest talents to Europe.

After a fantastic year for the Ghanaian side, winning three trophies and a half-million-dollar "pot of gold", Hearts have the vision to challenge 89 years of poverty,and could provide an example for other African sides to follow.