ROBIN GNAGNE: THE IVORIAN PHOBIAN (The BIG INTERVIEW).
Robin Gnagne joined Accra Hearts of Oak in the 2012/13 league season under the recommendation of then assistant coach, Ben Adjei, from Sogakope Red Bull Academy. The Ivorian defender excelled in preseason, but he got an ankle injury just before the season begun when Hearts toured Sekondi-Takoradi. When he came back, Hearts had won just once from five games, and had lost their last three games which led to the sack of Coach Charles K. Akonnor.
The dependable defender played his first match on 18th November, 2012 in Kumasi against Kumasi Asante Kotoko in a 0-0 draw, on David Duncan’s managerial Hearts debut. He is fast approaching 50 league appearances for Accra Hearts of Oak, and since his sterling performance on his debut, the defender has gone on to make those performances his norm.
Aside his excellent composed defending panache, the Ivorian has never missed a penalty for Hearts in a competitive game. He has scored 8 penalties from 8 attempts; 7 in the league and 1 in the FA Cup. His only missed penalty came in last year’s (2013) President’s Cup, when he rattled the bar after Hearts had taken a two-goal lead against Medeama in the finals.
Robin Gnagne scored five goals from the penalty spot in his first season, and he scored 3 from the spot last season. He was, without a shadow of doubt, Accra Hearts of Oak’s Best player of the season in the 2013/14 season despite the team struggling midway in the season.
Now, listen to the story of Accra Hearts of Oak’s most valuable player last season, in this long, but interesting, interview. Robin talks about his two-season stay with Accra Hearts of Oak and what the future holds for the club. Enjoy.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Give us a brief introduction of yourself and what is the correct pronunciation of your surname?
Robin Gnagne: My name is Robin Adou-Pierre Gnagne [pronounced: NAN]. I am an Ivorian and a defender of Accra Hearts of Oak and former player of Red Bull Academy and Labofoot Academy (Ivory Coast).
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How did you come to Ghana?
Robin Gnagne: I was playing in my hometown for an academy team called Labofoot in Ivory Coast. They organized a tournament in Ivory Coast for some clubs and that was where some scouts saw me and brought me to Ghana.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Who were the scouts, where did they come from and how many of you did they select or bring to Ghana?
Robin Gnagne: I don’t know where exactly they came from, but I think they were from Red Bull Salzburg. They picked five of us to Ghana, but only two of us were able to come.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: When was this, which club did you go to and how long did you spend there?
Robin Gnagne: That was I think 2009 when I came to Ghana. I came with one of my friends and we came to do another justifier again in Ghana. They took me to Sogakope Red Bull Academy and I was there for four years before coming to Hearts.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How tough was it for you to make the trip to Ghana at that young age?
Robin Gnagne: I have done it before. It was not the first time I had left home. I was in an [Football] Academy too when I was in Ivory Coast. But it was not easy. It was a tough decision to take but remember we go somewhere because of something. It is normal to think about your family, but sometimes you have to take certain decisions that you think might or will help you accomplish your mission in life. So it was my decision to come to Ghana.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How did you come to Accra Hearts of Oak?
Robin Gnagne: Ben Adjei [former Assistant coach, captain, defender and long time servant of Accra Hearts of Oak] was coaching at Sogakope Red Bull Academy before he came back to Hearts. He came to tell Hearts about me. But three years ago, we played against Accra Hearts of Oak in Sogakope, I think they beat us 1-nil. But Ben Adjei was in the Academy as Assistant coach, and when he came to Hearts, he talked about me. So they sent a letter to Red Bull saying they wanted me and that is how I came here.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: What Division were you playing in at Red Bull Academy; did you win any laurels or personal awards?
Robin Gnagne: We were playing in the First Division. No, I did not win any personal award. But we went to a tournament in Salzburg, Austria-Vienna. We came third in the tournament at Austria. But sadly, I was the captain of the side, yet I could not play in the tournament because I was injured. I was only there to support my colleagues.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Did you ever hear of Accra Hearts of Oak before you came to Ghana?
Robin Gnagne: Actually, no. I had never heard of Accra Hearts of Oak before coming to Ghana. I think I heard of Kotoko, who came to play against Asec Mimosa in the qualifier for the Champions League. I support Asec Mimosa, and I was just happy they knocked Kotoko out.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: So, why did you not join the giants of Cote D’Ivoire, Asec Mimosa?
Robin Gnagne: I remember I went there with my Academy to play them, but I never got the chance to be there. They are a big club in Ivory Coast, but I think their loss, is Hearts’ gain. Maybe, if I played for them, I wouldn’t be in Ghana.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: When you came to Hearts in the 2012/13 season, you did not start the season with us, why?
Robin Gnagne: I was injured. I went for the preseason, and I was there for like three weeks in Sekondi-Takoradi. But the last day before leaving for Accra, I got injured when we played a friendly match against a First Division team at the Essipong Stadium.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: The early stage of the 2012/13 season was a bad one for the Club? We had only one win from five games. Did you think you made a mistake by joining Hearts then?
Robin Gnagne: No, not at all. I felt really bad because of the way results were going for the Club. But I did not regret my decision to join. That is football. You cannot explain it that easily. Sometimes things go well, other times too, not really so. But I had no doubts that I made the right choice by joining Accra Hearts of Oak.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Your first ever game for Accra Hearts of Oak was the biggest game in Ghanaian football calendar, the big one against Kotoko in Kumasi in match-day 7 of the 2012/13 season. Did you know of the rivalry between Hearts and Kotoko?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, I was told about the rivalry when I joined the club. I was told the match was not an easy match and that we could not lose that game because our supporters would not forgive us. And even before the match, everything had changed in the club. We had a new coach and the preparation was different and more focused.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: What was going through your mind on the day of the match playing in front of 30,000 plus people?
Robin Gnagne: I was very focused for the game. I told myself I could make it by the grace of God. And I believed in God and I was happy to make even with the pressure on us. I have never played in front of such a large number. But I think I saw a lot of Hearts colours in the stands and that gave me a lot of motivation. The Hearts fans were always singing and you could hear them loud on the pitch, and that really helped me to settle.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Were you scared when the game begun? You looked a bit uncomfortable in the early minutes, what happened?
Robin Gnagne: I was not scared, to be honest. But in football, you take time to settle. You do not have to rush, you have to take time and play. I think I did that in the early minutes and it helped me a lot too throughout the game.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Laryea Kingston was sent off in the early stages of the second half, and it was David Duncan’s first game in charge. What did you do to get a draw with 10-men?
Robin Gnagne: We had one of the best coaches in the country then, David Duncan, and he organized the team. He switched our system to a zonal one, and so we were not marking players but our zones on the field. I think that really helped us and because of that you could not tell how many players we had on the field.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: At the end of the game, Hearts got a draw against her sworn-rivals with 10-men. How did you feel?
Robin Gnagne: I was really happy at full time. That was my first game and my prayer before the match was that we should win and make our fans happy. But because we played with 10 players, I was happy we got the draw at the end of the match. You know it is not easy when you go away especially against Kotoko. We did everything the coach told us and that got us the result.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Moving on, you got another chance to play in the next game against Liberty Professionals. That was also your first game at the Accra Sports Stadium, but something strange happened in the game. We had a penalty and you went for the ball. We had Mahatma Otoo and a couple of senior players, but why did you do that?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, it was true. I went for the ball when the Referee blew for the penalty. I am not scared of penalty shoot-outs because I have a lot of confidence in front of goal, so I did not think too much when we had the penalty. I just wanted to play and I told my colleagues, I will play it. They all understood it and so I was given the nod to take it and I thank God I scored the goal.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Where from that confidence, do you have an experience from the penalty spot or lesson to tell?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, I have a very sad story to tell when it comes to penalties. I think I let Red Bull Academy down in the FA Cup some seasons back. We played a 1-1 draw game with a certain team in the FA Cup, and the game went to penalties. I took the first kick and missed for the other team to win the tie. I was really hurt that I let my team down. Since then, I kept working on my penalty kicks.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: That is a good story. You have a 100% record in the league and the FA Cup when it comes to taking penalties, who should we give the credit for the impressive run?
Robin Gnagne: I think the thanks must go to my Red Bull Academy colleagues. They did not blame me for losing the game on penalties in the FA Cup. They rather encouraged me to take more penalties when we had them in matches. I just got my confidence back and lost the fear because they will always call me to come and take penalties.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Let me take you back to the Liberty game again. Why did you celebrate wildly after scoring from the spot against Liberty Professionals?
Robin Gnagne: I was extremely happy. I just took off my shirt. It was a difficult time for me because when I came, I could not play in any match for a while. Then I got my first game against Kotoko, and I did well. My first match in front of the fans too, I was able to score. I was very, very happy to play for such a big club and score a penalty.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How would you compare the performance of last season to that of two seasons ago?
Robin Gnagne: Last season we had a very good team. But last two seasons, our team was not really going well, especially in the first round. In the second round, we built a good team and we tried our best to make the fans very happy with our finish. We did the fans happy looking at the place we came from to finish at fifth. We had a solid team in the second round and everybody was afraid of us in the league. We won so many games in the second round, but if we had a little more points from the first round, I think we would have even won the league. But it was not meant to be and so we had to try again last season. We had another good team but unfortunately we had some changes [Duncan sacked midway through the first round] along the way and things turned out not too well.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: There were technical changes in the team last year, how did that affect the players?
Robin Gnagne: I think our team morale went down during the changes. But we had to catch up, even though it was not easy. We had a good team and so we needed to respond positively, which I feel like we did. We had to manage it, and not let the change affect the whole season, but it took a lot of time to get our season back on track. The problem cut across the whole Club. There were changes in the playing body, the technical team, and even the management of the Club, but we only had to work hard to give the fans results at the end of the campaign.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: We won the President’s Cup in 2013, and we beat TP Mazembe and Medeama to win it; what do you recollect of the Cup winning year?
Robin Gnagne: The feeling of lifting a trophy is always great, and being my first trophy with Hearts, I was really happy and lucky to be part of that team. I quite remember being so happy on the day we beat Medeama because they had worried us in the season. I was thrilled also because it was my first cup with such a great club. It was not easy for us because we missed out on the league and t he FA Cup, but winning the President’s Cup went in a way in appeasing our fans. We just had to thank God for the small success.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Do you remember how Hearts scored their second goal against Medeama in the President’s Cup finals? I think you started the move with a good run from the center line before dribbling into the box to lay a pass for Mahatma Otoo to score?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, I do remember [smiles]. It is something I have been learning for a very long time. But when you learn something, you need to practice it in a game. I think I felt very good that it worked on the day of the finals for Hearts. I will give the credit to God.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: You missed a penalty for the first time in Hearts colours when you crushed your shot onto the crossbar with Hearts leading 2-0, any regrets?
Robin Gnagne: I was a bit down after missing the kick. I was quickly told to forget the miss and concentrate on the game by my colleagues. It also helped and eased the anger for me. But that is football. Anything can happen especially when it is penalties. I have no regrets because what was important was that, we won the game and the Cup on the day.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How important was the 2013 President’s Cup for you and the fans?
Robin Gnagne: Well, I was satisfied to see that our fans were happy after the game. You know we suffered in the first round of the season, and the fans had gone through some very bad times. But winning the President’s Cup brought back the smiles for all the fans, and that is a good thing for me. I think it helped them to forget how the season had unfolded.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Your captain and leader then was Mahatma Otoo, the top-scorer that year; do you feel you miss him in the team?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, why not? He is a great player and he helped the team a lot. So, it means everywhere he played before, Mahatma [Otoo] will be missed big time. But that is also football for you. You can’t be at one place forever and so after playing three or four seasons, you have to go somewhere and get experience.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: We started the 2013/14 league season on a very good note; we won our first game away at Bekwai, but we lost our second game against Kotoko at home. What were some of the things you can recollect from the defeat?
Robin Gnagne: I think coach [David Duncan] tried to psyche us up immediately at halftime [because we were down by a goal]. He told us to come out fighting and we did that to the last sweat. I think we were all determined to get the equalizer and if possible to get the winner. But Kotoko came prepared and they were very tough to beat in the second half because they scored one and so were defending but they were also dangerous on the counter attack. They had just one chance and they took. But I think it was a fantastic game, but sadly we lost.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: We came back to Tema with a lot of surprises for the supporters by beating Inter Allies 2-3. But the game ended abruptly for you after you picked, I think, a shoulder injury. How did you feel?
Robin Gnagne: I went for an air ball but I was pushed from behind and I did not see so I fell on my shoulder. I got the injury at halftime and that time we were leading 2-0, I think. I did not want to go out. I wanted to play but the pain was too much. I came out to sit on the bench in the second half and I was telling my colleagues to fight so that we got the three points. They made me happy by winning that game despite my injury.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: You missed four games after your injury, but what was it like watching Hearts from the sidelines?
Robin Gnagne: I was not worried at all because we were winning our matches. We beat Hasaacas at home, we went away to beat Bechem United, and we won at home against Berekum Chelsea too. So my teammates made me very happy during my time out on the injury table.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: David Duncan was sacked midway in the first round of last season, how did it affect the team?
Robin Gnagne: I was very disappointed but that is football. David Duncan was advising us like a father and at the same time like a coach. I think it is the same way Herbert Addo treats us now. I remember the day Duncan left us. I think we trained in the morning, but when I got home, somebody called me to tell me David Duncan had been sacked. I did not believe it so I went to the Secretariat myself to find out. They confirmed it and I was very down. I was not even able to call him [David Duncan] afterwards because I was really down.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Despite losing your coach David Duncan, you beat Amidaus Professionals in the next game by 1-0 away at Tema with Ben Adjei in charge. What was the secret of that win?
Robin Gnagne: We had a surprise visit from David Duncan when we were in camp. As soon as we saw him, we were so happy and forgot everything. He spoke to us and told us to fight for the Club at all times, and I think we took that mentality to the Amidaus match and we won. It was a mixed emotion for the team. We were happy we won the match, but we were also sad that our coach [Duncan] was leaving. But once again, it is football.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: After David Duncan’s departure, it did not take long for Ben Adjei, who brought you to Hearts, to also leave the Club. How did you manage missing these two influential guys?
Robin Gnagne: When Ben Adjei left, I was totally shattered. But it is life. When your time comes to leave, you will leave; and that goes for the players as well. We will also go, but it was very difficult for me to say goodbye to Ben Adjei. I did not know what happened for him to leave, but I just had to concentrate on the football.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: It was a difficult season for you, on a personal level, and the Club; but it could have gotten better on the last day. How painful was it to lose out on second place due to a painful penalty decision by Referee S.B Bortey?
Robin Gnagne: I missed that game because I got a head injury in the Kotoko game. But I was very sad to see them cheat us like that at home. When we go away, they cheat us, and when we play at home too, they do the same. It is frustrating. That ball was not a penalty, but I do not know how the Referee [S.B Bortey] managed to award it against us. I was not happy, but it is past because another season is coming up.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: You also played the highest game of the season for Hearts, together with Eric Kumi. You played 26 times in the league, how were you able to put out such a fight?
Robin Gnagne: It was not easy, but for everything I must thank God. All the credit must go to the Almighty God. He made it possible for me to play all the games and I am grateful.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: You missed out on the best defender of the season for the second year running. What do you make of the omission or neglect from the selectors?
Robin Gnagne: I am not surprised by the neglect. Last two seasons, I had a very good run in the league but nobody put out my name for the Best – this or that – Award. They did not give it to me, but they gave it to someone else. This season, I played a lot of matches for Hearts. Fine, we had a difficult season, but I think I played my best football last season. I do not really think about it. They are deciding it; but I have to work more hard on the field to get their attention.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: We have had a few changes in the team from the technical department to even the playing body. What do you make of the new ‘dream bench’ comprising four CAF License A holders – Herbert Addo (Head Coach), Stephen Abugri (Asst.-Coach), Dauda Lutterodt (U17 Coach), Eddie Ansah (Goalkeepers trainer) and Sabahn Quaye (Team Manager)?
Robin Gnagne: We have a very good combination on the bench. I think they are the perfect technical bench. We have a fantastic coach [Herbert Addo] and a great Team Manager [Sabahn Quaye] too. All of them are very good and it means things will be better this season. We will give out our best to be the best this season for the new technical team and the fans. We just have to do everything to make our fans happy. We can take everything this season. I believe we are going to do it because we can do it.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: How would you describe Coach Herbert Addo?
Robin Gnagne: Herbert Addo is a great coach. He is also a good father. He talks to us nicely and at the same time he gives us a lot of advice. He treats us like his own children and he is a simple man. He is the same when we are playing matches. No matter how the game is going, he still talks to us calmly and with a lot of respect. He does not shout on the players. He will tell you nicely when you make a mistake and because of that, you wouldn’t want to repeat it again. He keeps us calm in the game and he will make a lot of us big players. At training, he teaches a lot of tactical discipline and a lot more in life. He is a fantastic man and coach.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Who is your closest friend in the team?
Robin Gnagne: I do not have a close friend in the team [he laughs]. Everyone is my friend. All the players are like my brothers and I get on well with everybody. We are brothers and we are friends too. That is how they welcomed me to the team so I am free with everybody in the team.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: What is your target for the season?
Robin Gnagne: I personally want us to win everything. We will have to concentrate more on the league and the FA Cup. We must get those two cups to make our fans happy. We will fight to be on top of all the teams when the league starts.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: What is your message to Hearts fans?
Robin Gnagne: I have a very good relationship with Hearts fans, and I can say I am very happy to be part of the Hearts family. They have always supported me, in the good and the bad times, and I am very happy with the support. I am extremely happy to be a player of Accra Hearts of Oak and I am grateful to the fans for making me who I am today. They always advice me like a brother and a friend and are very good to me. I do not have anything to say to describe how special the fans are to me. I love them.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Robin, where or who would you love to play for? Cote D’Ivoire or Ghana?
Robin Gnagne: I have been asked that question many times. But when the opportunity comes, I will take it. It is football. You see players playing for other countries. Ghanaians also naturalize for other countries and so do Ivorians. But when the opportunity comes, I will make it. But honestly, I am not thinking about International football yet. I just want to give my best to my club, Accra Hearts of Oak and the fans. That is my thinking. I want to achieve something for Accra Hearts of Oak this season, and in the name of God, we will do it. We just have to put our hands to it, and we will do it for Accra Hearts of Oak.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Would you like to win a personal award at the end of the season?
Robin Gnagne: Yes, why not. Is there a player who would not want to win the best player award? This season, I am going to be the Best Defender, and I would want to win the Best Player of the season too with the help of Herbert Addo and the technical team.
HeartsEleven.wordpress.com: Thank you very much for your time.
Robin Gnagne: Thank you also for talking to me. I hope the next time we talk again, you will be asking me how many trophies have we won from the season.
Is Robin Gnagne your best player of last season (2013/14)? If he is or he is not, please tell us why via @HeartsEleven and +233542962261 on whatsapp; FaceBook page coming soon.
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