Hearts play Olympics, two others in friendlies

Though the premiership is over and Accra Hearts of Oak are the champions for a historic fifth consecutive time, the Phobians are to get busy with three friendly encounters to climax the season.

Among the clubs slated to play Hearts of Oak are city rivals, Accra Great Olympics and Liberty Professionals at the Accra Sports Stadium. Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, technical director of Hearts, who hinted this on Tuesday said the third friendly will be against Tema Ghapoha.

He said an expected meeting with the players tomorrow is also to afford him and his colleagues to take an overview of the just ended season and plan for the subsequent programmes.

According to the African coach of the yar who masterminded the success of the Phobians in last year’s CAF Champions League, Olympics have proved unyielding to his side this season and believed this was the time to settle the scores.

The game against Olympics, which is to be dubbed “Shidaa Cupo” or “Thank You trophy”, is aimed at expressing appreciation to fans and all those who have contributed in diverse ways towards the success of the Phobians.

For Olympics, it is to thank God, their fans as well as all those who rallied behind the club during the turbulent times of the season.

Even though Hearts have managed to pull wins over Liberty Professionals, encounters between the two teams have always been full of thrillers, and coach Attuquayefio believes the Dansoman-based club is a formidable squad to meet once again.

Jones said that their match against Tema Ghapoha would be a good one for the Tema lads as they prepare for a play-off with the third-placed club in the division one middle league to determine which of the two would remain in the elite premier division.

Hearts at the weekend undertook a trip to Cote d’Ivoire where it placed second in a charity match that saw the Ghanaian champions losing 0-2 to Asec Mimosa, the Ivorian champions.

Coach Attuquayefio is expected to go on holidays in the United Kingdom and the United States and would exploit the opportunity to take up refresher courses to be abreast of the current changes in the game. “That however does not mean, I am quitting the club,” he was quick to say.

Meanwhile, coach Attuquayefio has named Dan Oppong as his most outstanding player among the tall list of new players recruited for the season. He said Hassan Mohammed who came in late has also been impressive.

At the appropriate time, the Hearts of Oak tactician hoped to unveil plans for next year’s CAF Champions league and the players targeted to augment the squad.