Hearts of Oak coach Samuel Boadu claim player injuries cost his side’s defence of the league title
Hearts of Oak head coach Samuel Boadu, believes his team’s failure to defend the Ghana Premier League title was as a result of a plethora of injuries which hit the team this season.
The Phobians’ league campaign came to a disappointing end on Sunday as they were humbled 4-1 by Real Tamale United at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Hearts, who started the season as defending champions couldn’t even make the top four but settled for a disappointing sixth position as they trailed new league champions Asante Kotoko by 19 points.
Long term injuries to last season’s GPL player of the season Ibrahim Salifu, indefatigable center back Robert Addo Sowah and a host of others were the key injuries that hit the team this season and in return affecting the organizational structure of the Hearts of Oak set up.
Speaking at the post match interview after the RTU mauling, the gaffer said: “The injury problem, because lots of players in the first team got injuries, Salifu Ibrahim, Addo Sowah and Nurudeen Abdul Aziz.
“It got to a point Barnieh was not feeling well and travelled, but I think this is the team we had to depend on and that cost us,” Boadu said.
The Phobians shockingly lost all their last games to the end of the campaign, losing 1-0 to King Faisal, 3-0 to noisy neighbours Great Olympics and 4-1 to Real Tamale United.
Hearts of Oak will have an opportunity to put to bed a disappointing GPL campaign this Sunday as they defend their FA Cup title against Bechem United at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
