Over 76 apply for chief executive, other posts in Hearts

The race for who will be Accra Hearts of Oak’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) enters the second phase with the expiry of the deadline for the submission of applications from prospective candidates for the top job.

Already, the curtain has been drawn for the submission of applications for the three advertised vacancies in the team’s administrative set-up. Inside sources revealed that over 76 candidates have applied for the three vacant positions namely, the chief executive, an accountant, and assistant administrative secretary.

The sources intimated that an independent body, which will be put in place by the Board of Directors will scrutinize the respective applications for shortlisting. Hearts Board Secretary, Ernest Thompson hinted that the full composition of the Board would soon meet to decide on an independent committee, comprised of members outside both management and the Board, to deal with the applications.

Giving details, Mr Ernest Thompson said the committee would be expected to vet the applicants, by mid-May, to ensure that selected candidates who meet the requirement stated in the advertisement get the offers. All applicants, according to the adverts that were placed in the state-owned Daily Graphic and the club’s mouthpiece Hearts News, are expected to be staunch members of the club. The CEO must not be above 50 years in age whiles those for the accountant and the assistant administrative secretary should be below 40.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that former Hearts celebrated coach, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, has expressed interest in the CEO job. Attuquayefio, who returned on Tuesday from a two-month trip to the United Kingdom and the United States made known his intention for the top Hearts job soon on arrival from his tour. According to him he has known the Phobian structures well enough after more than half a decade stay with the club to be able to manage it well.

It will be recalled that under coach Attuquayefio’s tutelage, Hearts, through to last year, annexed the local league on five consecutive occasions and won in Africa the CAF Champions League in 2000 for the first time in the club’s history. He led Hearts to also win that year’s Africa Super Cup when they beat Egypt’s Zamalek 2-0 at the Kumasi Sports Stadium.