CAF Champions League: Hearts of Oak drop to Confederations Cup after being battered by Wydad Athletic Club
Wydad Athletic Club humiliated Hearts of Oak in the final preliminary round of the CAF Champions League qualifier at the Mohamed V Stadium in Morocco on Sunday.
On a day of potential history-making for Hearts, they lost 6-1 away to Wydad, a result that emphasised the vast gap between the elites in African Football.
Hearts of Oak came into the second leg full of optimism after beating Wydad 1-0 in Accra at the Accra Sports Stadium but couldn’t manage to keep up in Morocco with the 6-1 defeat which is now the club’s heaviest defeat in CAF inter-club competitions.
Simon Msuva was the star of the match as the Tanzanian forward scored a brace to take his tally to three for the season.
Samuel Boadu looked like a dejected figure as he and his men looked dismayed after conceding three goals in the first 20 minutes.
Msuva gave the Moroccans an early lead after heading an in-swinging cross past Richard Atta who was rooted to the spot.
Aymane El Hassouni cleverly converted a free-kick, placing his shot under a disjointed wall to double Wydad’s lead three minutes later.
Achraf Dari rose highest to head home a corner kick in the 20th minute to put the game beyond the Phobians.
It went from bad to worse for the Premier League champions as Yahya Jabrane converted a penalty after Atta fouled an opponent in the box.
Hearts players didn’t know where to look especially at halftime, after a raw and disorganised performance.
The worrying signs were there for Hearts who conceded a fifth and sixth from Ayoub El Amloud and Msuva respectively just 15 minutes after the break.
Hearts of Oak stepped up the intensity in the last 10 minutes and got a consolation goal through Patrick Razak after a loose ball hit his leg.
The rest was a formality as Wydad cruised to victory in front of empty seats as the game was played behind closed doors after a directive from CAF.
Last season’s semifinalists make it to the group stages of the Champions League as Hearts drop to the Confederations Cup play-off round.
