Hearts set tone for Africa with 4-0 win over Pepple

Champion Club Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday set the tone for Africa when they walloped Pepple FC of Nigeria 4-0 in a friendly international match at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The match, which served as a rehearsal for their Africa Clubs Championship against AS Douane of Togo, saw the Phobians parading the set likely to feature in the match on Sunday, April 13.

Hearts went straight into action at the blast of the whistle with Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour's header from a Don Bortey cross hitting the edge of the crossbar in the 4th minute.

Osei-Kuffour, however, made amends when he connected another cross from Bortey to register the first goal on seven minutes.

Hearts intensified their pressure on the Nigerian team from Port Harcourt, owned by Senator Adewari Pepple, but had to wait till the 34th for the second goal. Bortey converted a penalty, after Kuffour was brought down in the vital area.

On resumption, Bortey who created a lot of anxious moments for United defence delivered two crosses from the right flank for Massawudu Mumuni and Osei-Kuffour to head home for the third and fourth goals in the 76 and 83rd minute respectively.

Due to the late start of the game, it could not travel the full 90 minutes as visibility became poor and referee EQM Osam Quaye had to end it prematurely in the 84th minute.

During recess a section of Hearts fans demonstrated with placards against what they describe as unprofessional approach used by archrivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko to poach their player, Charles Taylor.

Some of the placards read "Taylor is not for sale", "Politics in football can create war" and "GFA come out with rules of FIFA on the case".