African Championship League: Hearts lose 2-0

Al Ahli 2-0 Hearts in Egypt
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Hearts of Oak yesterday failed to live up to expectations as they lost 2-0 to a tactically superior El Ahly team in the CAF champions? League group One match played in Cairo, thus putting in jeopardy their hopes of qualifying for the finals of the competition.

Two quick goals by the Egyptians in either half was enough to deflate the Phobians hopes The task couldn?t have been more daunting for Hearts as they conceded an early goal under five minutes, when Mohammed Farouk beautifully tucked in a deep cross by Ibrahim Hassan with a one-time shot well beyond the outstretched hands of goalkeeper James Nanor.

As expected the game pepped up the home side whose one-touch passes intermingled with fast breaks proved arduous for the Phobians defenders to deal with. Gradually Hearts managed to claw back into the game and had a good chance of cancelling the lead, but midfield genius Emmanuel Yartey overhandled the ball and lost it as unmarked Fameyeh waited to latch onto a pass. The Ghanaians though managed to string their passes well in midfield but always failed to thread the final pass to their tightly marked strikers who were always crowded out by the El Ahly defenders.

A long carpet shot by Amankwah Mireku in the latter minutes of the first half, which was saved without much difficulty by the Egyptian goalie, was the farthest Hearts could come close to cancelling the lead. Playing their typical one-touch football, the Egyptians forced Hearts? defenders to overwork with Nanor being called to duty on many occasions to prevent the home side from running riot.

Any hopes of Hearts redeeming the deficit to search for a seemingly difficult win was jolted 10 minutes after recess when El Ahly, in a typical fast break, rifled in the second goal with a deceptive shot from an acute angle, which Nanor had no answer to.

The goal totally deflated Hearts? already faint hopes and the home side immediately began running the show at their own pace. Fameyeh and young Ishmael Addo failed to provide cutting edge for Hearts, and the substitute striker Osumanu Amadu rather added to Hearts? troubles by wasting some God-sent chances.

In the 75th and 89th minutes, Amadu was provided with two God-sent chances for at least a face-saving goal, but surprisingly he failed to direct his shots towards the yawning goal post, leaving the Egyptian goalkeeper with a trouble-free night.