Hearts of Oak Suffer Another Blow With 2-0 Defeat to Heart of Lions
Hearts of Oak have suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening two games of the season.
The difficult start of Hearts of Oak to the 2024/25 Ghana Premier League season continued on Sunday as they fell 2-0 to Heart of Lions in Kpando.
The defeat has deepened the woes of the Phobians, who are still struggling to win back the trust of their fans after a poor showing last season.
After an unexpected loss to newly promoted Basake Holy Stars in their opening game, Hearts of Oak were hoping for a quick recovery. However, Heart of Lions had other plans, producing a resolute display to secure a convincing victory.
With their head coach Bashir Hayford watching from the stands due to a misconduct charge, Heart of Lions remained disciplined and focused. Hearts of Oak managed to hold the game at 0-0 until the 83rd minute, when forward Nana Oppong broke the deadlock. Ishmael Addo then doubled the lead shortly after, sealing Heart of Lions’ win and leaving Hearts of Oak empty-handed.
This marks the first time in 15 years that Hearts of Oak have lost their opening two games in the league. Coincidentally, it was Heart of Lions who handed them a similar 2-0 defeat in the opening round of the 2009 season.
Head coach Aboubakar Ouattara, who received public backing from the club’s management earlier this week, is now under increased scrutiny following back-to-back losses. The Phobians narrowly avoided relegation last season, and their poor start this term has left fans worried about another challenging campaign.
With two consecutive defeats, Ouattara will need to turn things around quickly to avoid potential changes within the club.
Hearts of Oak will be under intense pressure as they prepare for their next match, with supporters growing increasingly anxious about the direction of the team.
