Officials of Enyimba and Hearts express mix reactions

Obuasi, (Ash), July 18, GNA - Officials of Enyimba Football Club of Nigeria and Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club have expressed mixed reactions following the victory of Enyimba's 2-0 win over Hearts in their CAF/MTN Champions League Group B encounter at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium at the weekend.

Speaking to the GNA Sports in separate interviews after the match, the officials said they were hopeful that their respective teams would make an impact in this year's Champions League notwithstanding the outcome of the match.

Mr. Anthony Bayor, Media Relations Officer of Enyimba, winners of the League in 2003 and 2004, commended the team's players for the superior tactical discipline they exhibited on the field of play. He attributed the team's win over Hearts to the fact that the players never underrated their opponents, adding that 93We were vigilant and kept our composure throughout the match".

"Now that we have beaten Hearts, we are looking forward to winning the trophy for the third time, he told the GNA Sports.

Whilst commending their supporters for being dedicated to the team's cause, Mr. Bayor said Enyimba will tackle its last two group matches of the first round of the league against Orlando Pirates and Asec Mimosas with the seriousness they deserve.

Nana Owusu Agyemang, a Management Member of Hearts, attributed the team's loss to Enyimba to what he said was poor officiating on the part of Cameroonian referee, Evehe Divine.

"The referee allowed our opponents to do their own thing without bringing them to book and this demoralised our players" he said. He indicated that despite the team's loss, they were hopeful to give a good account of themselves in the other group matches. Hearts who won the league in 2000 have since then struggled to qualify to the money zone of the competition until this year when they managed to make it against the odds.

On the match itself, Hearts could have snatched a point but for erratic shooting and poor marksmanship by the strikers. Bulky striker Reuben Senyo and Eric Gawu were the worst offenders as they blew away some glorious chances to the disappointment of their teeming home fans.

Enyimba who were determined to win the day exhibited superior play in most departments of the game, especially in the midfield where Uga Okpara and Mbwa Mangut used their bulky stature to advantage in ensuring that their opponents never had any lee way through the midfield.