Hearts of Oak
Full nameAccra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club
Nickname(s)Phobia
Founded11 November 1911 (1911-11-11)
GroundAccra Sports Stadium
Capacity40,000
ChairmanTogbe Afede XIV
ManagerSlavko Matic
LeagueGhana Premier League
2022–2312th
WebsiteClub website

Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club, commonly referred to as Hearts of Oak or just Hearts, is a professional sports club based in Accra (Greater Accra), Ghana.[1] Founded in 1911, the club is the oldest surviving football club in Ghana and its traditional colours are red, yellow and blue. Hearts of Oak competes in the Ghana Premier League, the premier division on the Ghanaian football pyramid. The Accra Sports Stadium is the club's home grounds, where it plays its home games.

Hearts has won the Premier League twenty-one times, the Ghanaian FA Cup a record twelve times,[2] the Ghana Super Cup, a joint record three times[3][4] the President's Cup, six times,[5][6][7] and the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederations Cup once each.[8] Accra Hearts of Oak was also ranked eighth football club in the world in the year 2000 when the club dominated most of the continent's sporting activities.[9] Accra Hearts of Oak remains the only football club in West Africa to have won a Continental Treble; one of 6 Africa-based clubs and one of 21 football clubs worldwide to have achieved this feat. During the colonial period, Hearts of Oak won a combined total of eight football league trophies in the Accra Football League and the Gold Coast Club Competition, both precursors to the Ghana Premier League.[10] In the Accra Football League, Hearts of Oak won the Guggisberg Shield donated by Sir Gordon Guggisberg, then Governor of the Gold Coast in 1922; the competition for Accra-based clubs was played on 12 occasions between 1922 and 1954; Hearts of Oak won the Shield six times, including the final tournament played in 1954.[11]

History

The club was founded on 11 November 1911 in Accra.[12] Hearts of Oak won their first major match in 1922 when Sir Gordon Guggisberg, then Governor of the Gold Coast, founded the Accra Football League. Hearts won 6 out of 12 seasons in this league. The club also won the 1953/54 edition of the Gold Coast Club Competition - the colonial precursor to the Ghana Premier League.[10] In 1956, Hearts joined the Ghanaian Football League and have flourished ever since.[13]

In the year 2000, the Hearts of Oak won the Ghanaian FA cup, the Ghana Premier League and for the first time in their history the CAF Champions League.[14] This was the most successful year in the club's history.[15] The team was led by club Joseph Ansah.[16]

On 9 May 2001, 127 people died in Africa's worst footballing disaster. During a match between rivals, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko. Trouble started when supporters of Asante Kotoko began ripping out seats in an act of hooliganism in protest at a goal allowed by the referee. The match was officiated by referee J. Wilson Sey,[17] from Cape Coast. Police reacted by firing tear gas into the crowd, it has been suggested that this was an over-reaction. Reports suggest that the gates to the ground were locked and the stadium was not up to FIFA standards. The rush to escape the tear gas was a contributory factor to the death toll. A commission inquiry, indicted six police officers in its initial report, but they were not convicted as it was deemed that the deaths could have been caused by the stampede instead of the tear gas.[18][19] As of 2020, the transfer value of the Accra Hearts of Oak was £2.03 million, the highest of all sports clubs in Ghana.[20]

Grounds

Accra Hearts of Oak play home matches at the Accra Sports Stadium. The Accra Sports Stadium holds an estimated 40,000 seats. Although purchased in the 1980s, the Pobiman Training Ground was only put to use in the summer of 2018. Construction for an expansion of the 19-acre site in the Pobiman neighborhood, is currently in the planning stages way. The club plans to build a state-of-the-art facility.

Rivalries

Accra Hearts of Oak's longest established rivalry is with Asante Kotoko S.C. and their city rivals Accra Great Olympics FC.

Current squad

First team squad

As of 10 October 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF Ghana GHA Fatawu Mohammed (captain)
6 MF Ghana GHA Daniel Kodie
7 MF Ghana GHA Gladson Awako
8 FW Ghana GHA Benjamin York
9 FW Central African Republic CAF Yassan Ouatching
10 MF Ghana GHA Sulley Muntari
11 MF Ghana GHA Gladson Awako
13 MF Ghana GHA Kwadwo Obeng Junior
14 DF Ghana GHA Robert Addo Sowah
15 DF Ghana GHA Mohammed Alhassan
16 GK Ghana GHA Eric Ofori Antwi
18 MF Ghana GHA Daniel Afriyie
19 FW Cameroon CMR Junior Kaaba
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 DF Ghana GHA Caleb Amankwah
21 FW Ghana GHA Isaac Mensah
22 DF Ghana GHA Samuel Inkoom
23 FW Ghana GHA Enock Asubonteng
24 MF Ghana GHA Abdul-Aziz Nurudeen
27 DF Ghana GHA Dennis Korsah
28 FW Ghana GHA Agyenim Boateng
29 DF Ghana GHA James Sewornu
30 GK Ghana GHA Richard Attah
31 MF Ghana GHA Salifu Ibrahim
35 MF Ghana GHA Eric Esso
39 MF Ghana GHA Seidu Suraj
42 MF Ghana GHA William Opoku

[21][22] Reference as of 12 March 2021

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Republic of the Congo CGO Raddy Ovouka (New Mexico United)

Honours

Official trophies (recognised by CAF and FIFA)

Domestic

  • Ghana Premier League
    • Champions (21): 1956, 1958, 1961–62, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2020–21
  • Ghanaian FA Cup
    • Winners (12): 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1990 (After winning a protest that declared them winners), 1993–94, 1995–96, 1999, 2000, 2021, 2022 (record)
  • Ghana Super Cup
    • Winners (3): 1997, 1998, 2021 (joint record)

International

Other GFA National Titles

1973, 1974 (shared), 1977 (shared), 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985
  • Ghana Telecom Gala: 4
  • GHALCA Special Cup: 3
  • Ghana Top Four Cup: 3
  • Ghana Top Eight Cup: 2
  • President's Cup: 6
2003, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2022, 2023
  • Independence Cup: 4
  • PLB Special Knockout: 1
  • June 4 Cup: 3
  • 31 December Revolution Cup: 1

Gold Coast

  • Inclusive of trophies won in the Accra Football League (Guggisberg Shield) and the Gold Coast Club Competition, both played during the colonial period[10]
    • Champions (8): 1920, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1953–54
  • Contributor: Bright Yeboah Taylor (Ghanaian Sports Historian)

Notable players

For all former players with a Wikipedia article see Category:Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. players

Club captains

Managers

List of managers since 1991

Seasons

References

  1. ↑ Association, Ghana Football. "FA pats Hearts as they celebrate first 100 years". ghanafa.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Hearts of Oak beats Ashgold on penalties to win MTN FA Cup". GhanaWeb. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  3. ↑ "Hearts to play either Kotoko or AshGold in Super Cup clash". GhanaWeb. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "Ghana FA to confirm Hearts of Oak as Super Cup winners". GhanaSoccernet. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Check out all the trophies won by Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko". GhanaWeb. 10 August 2021. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Konadu Yiadom's header settles 2023 President's Cup between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 5 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "Match Report: Hearts of Oak beat Akufo-Addo's Asante Kotoko to win President's Cup". GhanaWeb. 5 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Ayamga, Emmanuel (19 November 2019). "Hearts of Oak's treble winners of 2000: a team and manager that dominated African football". These Football Times. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Today in history: Hearts win 2000 Champions League after chaotic final". Ghana Soccernet. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 "Full list of past Ghana Premier League title winners since 1920". GhanaWeb. 11 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Ghana - List of Cup Winners". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Hearts of Oak Sporting Club". Soccerway. Perform. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hearts of Oak – Der Herzschlag Ghanas". De.fifa.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  14. ↑ "2004 CAF Clubs Competition Match Reports in Phobia History Forum". Yuku. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Five major trophies Hearts of Oak have won since being founded 108 years ago". Citi Sports Online. 11 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Former Hearts of Oak captain Ansah slams team | Goal.com". Goal. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "'May 9 Disaster' referee says GPL officials are not bold". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "Ghana tragedy: Police to blame". BBC. 29 July 2001. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Fifteen Years After Africa's Deadliest Stadium Disaster, Not Much Has Changed". Sports. 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  20. ↑ "Transfer Market value Hearts of Oak ahead of Asante Kotoko". 11 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "Full list: Hearts of Oak squad for 2020/21 season". Ghana Sports Online. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Hearts of Oak announce signing of Eleven Wonders star Salifu Ibrahim". GhanaSoccernet. 27 February 2021. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  23. ↑ "History and facts of the SWAG CUP". GhanaWeb. 20 June 2013. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "Swag Cup". Swag. 15 February 2019. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  25. ↑ "A historical overview of Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG)". Footballghana. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "SWAG clears the air on the number of SWAG Cups Asante Kotoko have won". GhanaSoccernet. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Hearts of Oak coach dies". 8 June 2005. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  28. ↑ "Hearts Mutually Terminate Contract With David Duncan". Accra Hearts of Oak. 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  29. ↑ Sheikh Tophic Sienu (17 January 2016). "Mohammed Polo can only return to Hearts as a technical director". Ghana Soccernet. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  30. 1 2 "News". Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  31. ↑ "Official: Hearts of Oak sack coach Kim Grant". ghanaweb.com. 31 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Edward Nii Odoom takes over as new Hearts of Oak head coach". ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "Confirmed: Kosta Papic named new head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak". Graphic Online. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  34. ↑ "Official: Hearts of Oak appoint Kosta Papic as the new head coach". ghanaweb.com. 1 December 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  35. ↑ Mensah, Rita (16 February 2021). "Hearts of Oak appoint Samuel Nii Noi as interim coach". Citi Sports Online. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  36. ↑ "Samuel Boadu: Hearts of Oak appoint former Medeama boss as new coach - MyJoyOnline.com". myjoyonline.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  37. ↑ "OFFICIAL: Hearts of Oak appoint Serbian trainer Slavko Matic as new head coach - Ghanasoccernet.com". Ghanasoccernet.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
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