Goodbye, Sir – You have been the HOLY one for us.

Cecil Jones Attuquayefio born on the 18th October, 1944 was a loyal servant of Accra Great Olympics -Hearts of Oak’s city rivals – but it was with HEARTS of OAK that he made his name as a coach.

The ex-Black Stars player, after battling with throat cancer for close to eight years, finally lost the fight on the 12th May, 2015. He fought to the very end of his life…….

FROM STAR PLAYER TO LEGENDARY COACH

Attuquayefio’s footballing career spanned almost 20 years. He started with Ghana Academicals in the early sixties, transferred to Accra Standfast F.C  for a short-stint, later joined Ghana Republicans and finally settled with Accra Great Olympics – where he played from 1966-1974- during their most successful spell in Ghana football which culminated in two league titles in a space of four years. He was a member of the Black Star team that won the African Nations Cup in 1965.

His coaching career kicked off right after his playing days, his first job was with the Accra Great Olympics team in the mid-seventies. He managed the “wonder club” for almost a decade. He was the Assistant-coach of the Black Stars from 1985-1987.

He managed three teams in four years between 1988 and 1993. He was in charge of Okwahu United for a year and proceeded to Cote d’Ivoire where he managed local giants, Stade Abidjan. He was not there for long and came back to Coach Obuasi Goldfields-present day AshantiGold FC- from 1990-1995; the first three years was spent with the senior team and the last two years were with the Academy side of Obuasi Goldfields.

HISTORY MAKER WITH HEARTS

Attuquayefio was appointed manager of Accra HEARTS OF OAK in 1998 after a short stint with his former club Accra Great Olympics. He brought a new dimension to the reigning Ghana League Champions. Attuquayefio’s Hearts of Oak made it into the Group Stages of the CAF Champions league where they placed second in Group A level on points with Power Dynamos of Zimbabwe who had a superior goal difference.

Hearts and Attuquayefio were back in Africa the following year, but after whipping Ela Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 9-0 on aggregate in the preliminary round, the euphoria was quickly subdued when they placed third in their Group, unable to better the record of the previous year. Hearts went on to retain the Ghana league title which was Cecil Jones’ second league triumph with the club.

After those two unsuccessful stints on the African continent, Cecil Jones moulded -arguably- Hearts of Oak’s greatest team. The lessons in the previous fiasco were learned; the shenanigans of away and home games on the continent were understood; the will-power to not succumb was inculcated into the players. The alchemist and leader of men had found his right formula and with it the antidote to dominate the African terrain.

The new, rectified and fortified team Attuquayefio created came to be known as “BATTALION 64.” Some of the notably members of the “64 Battalion” were: Sammy Adjei, Africa’s Best Goal-keeper at Junior level in 1999, took over the goalkeeping reigns from Eben “Dida” Armah and James Nanor; Stephen Tetteh and the veteran -erstwhile midfielder- E. Agyeman Duah were the heart of the defense. They complemented each other perfectly with Stephen Tetteh, the young, energetic and tower of strength; on the other hand, Agyeman Duah brought experience, calmness and composure to the defense. (Sannie Wahab, the best Hearts defender at the time, missed the final. Agyeman Duah replaced him at the back.)

On the right of defense was the mercurial and marauding Yaw Amankwah Mireku; Captain Jacob Nettey: reliable, hardworking, indefatigable and passionate occupied the left flank.

The centre of battle and the hub of the team had the combative, hard tackling, athletic, Lawrence Adjah Tetteh( a mirror-image-of-Edmund Copson) who win the ball and distribute it effectively; and the silent, wily, shadow wall Joe Ansah marshalling the midfield.

Charles Taylor and Charles Allotey occupied the left and right of midfield respectively. The former, a very skillful, quick, left-footed, defense terrorising, slippery and trickery Charles Taylor; the latter, a very small, underrated, hardworking, passionate, gutty and pocket-Hercules Charles Allotey.

Ishmael Addo, the precocious, pacey, and finisher extra-ordinaire, added youthful enthusiasm to the front-line in tandem with Emmanuel Osei-Kuffor – the General- as he was named by the fans.

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffor, the erstwhile right-back, had been converted to a striker by Cecil Jones Attuquayefio. Osei-Kuffor was creative as a playmaker, and had a strikers instinct in equal measure but his greatest attribute was his composure and calmness-personified in front of goal – Emmanuel Osei Kuffor was the top-scorer in the 2000 CAF Champions League.

As the saying goes, ” A team is as good as its bench” and so the equally talented men were the backbone of the team: J. Nanor, Eben Armah; Justice Ampah, James Zoglo, Emmanuel Donkor, Emmanuel Adjogu, Ali Kwame, Dan Quaye, and man-mountain Osmanu Amadu.

HEARTS OF OAK and Attuquayefio were making history, sweeping all before them on the domestic stage thanks in no small part to the trilogy of Osei Kuffor, Ishmael Addo and Charles Taylor. They were unplayable at times and rightly regarded as one of the continent’s finest combinations. The pair registered more than 15 goals between them in the CAF CL.

Attuquayefio’s artistic team, the 64 battalion, went on to win the CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE in 2000 -defeating Esperance in Tunis (ending a close to 30 years home invincibility record of the North Africans in continental football) and winning the return leg 5-2 on aggregate at Accra

Jacob Nettey kisses Hearts’ first ever Africa Champions League in 2000.

. The appurtenance of their success was the sweeping of all the domestic trophies in the year 2000. The icing on the continental cake was the 2-0 win over African giants, Zamalek SC of Egypt, in the Super Cup the following year.

Attuquayefio’s team had rigour at the back, finesse in the middle and panache in front of goal. But of all the qualities that got them through -and distinguished them from the Hearts of Oak team of old- was the we-shall-not-be-over-awed never say die attitude. This conviction was accentuated when they came from a goal and a man down, to beat Esperance 2-1 in Tunis.

Attuquayefio had succeeded where Charles Addo Odametey had failed twice; the battalion 64 had laid down the gauntlet for the legendary “fearsome-five” squad which comprised Robert Hammond, Mama Musah Acquah, Peter Lamptey, Anas Seidu and Mohammed Ahmed Polo. They had -in effect- threatened the very existence of the afore-mentioned quintessential “fearsome-five” squad in the pantheons of Accra Hearts of Oak Legends; they had marked their claim, rejoiced where the erstwhile deities had mourned, and had usurped all the HEARTS OF Oak sides before them as the greatest side ever assembled in the then 93-year history of the Oak tree.

Yes, they were guided, regimented, drilled, indoctrinated, mollycoddled and masterminded by the great CECIL JONES ATTUQUAYEFIO – Accra Hearts of Oak’s coach of the century.

The football world celebrated Cecil Jones Attuquayefio in June, 2012. Well, we will forever celebrate the man and his impeccable achievements.

Accra Hearts of Oak Board Chairman, Togbe Afede XIV, presenting a cheque to Cecil Jones Attuquayefio during his testimonial match.

1. J ATTUQUAYEFIO: MAJOR HONOURS WITH HEARTS OF OAK

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STATS: 1

1998*: P4 W3 D0 L1 GF4 GA3 – Group Stage

1999: P10 W5 D3 L2 GF20 GA7 – Group Stage

2000: P12 W8 D3 L1 GF25 GA 12 – Winners (Champions)

2001: P2 W1 D0 L1 GF4 GA 6 – First Round

CONFEDERATION CUP: 1

2004**: P10 W6 D3 L1 GF13 GA 7

*Attuquayefio’s first game in charge of Hearts was the 1-0 defeat away to Eagle Cement.

**Ernst Middendorp had managed the team till the last round before the group stages. Cecil Jones took over and won the maiden trophy

Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio returned to Hearts to make it a hat-trick of continental trophies by pipping Kotoko to the Confederation Cup.

.

SUPER CUP: 1

2001: winner

2005: runner-up

Ghana Premier League Champion: 5

1998, 1999 (double), 2000 (treble), 2001 and 2004/2005 (double)

Ghana FA Cup: 2

1999 (double), 2000 (treble)

Attuquayefio, Accra Hearts of Oak, Ghana and Africa is grateful for the years of service to HUMANITY. Ayekoo.

Goodbye, Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio – You have been the HOLY one for Accra Hearts of Oak. We shall never forget our Jones…..

[This article first appeared on June, 29th 2012, on modernghana.com, written by @HeartsEleven….. TITLED: CELEBRATING CECIL JONES ATTUQUAYEFIO – The First Conquest of Africa with HEARTS OF OAK

— http://www.modernghana.com/sports/403750/2/celebrating-cecil-jones-attuquayefio-the-first-con.html%5D

Article by: @heartseleven

4-0: The Hearts History-makers; Kotoko breakers.

#OnthisHeartsDay 2000 AD: HEARTS 4-0 KOTOKO.

15 years on, and it has still not sunk in. 71 derbies before then, 22 after it; yet, nobody has forgotten. 101 games have been played between Hearts and Kotoko, but none of the other 100 games come close to this very game.

15^th March, 2000 AD was the day. Unarguably, the greatest assembly of men ever gathered in Club football history in Ghana. The team that went on to win four unprecedented trophies in a season had set their greatest rivals on fire. They humiliated Kotoko. Battered them left, right and center with the Porcupine Warriors not knowing what exactly had hit them. The 64-battalion and their sweeping force were a nightmare for the legions of Kotoko fans till this very day and a reverie for the fans of the Oak tree.

Four goals have been scored by a team in the 101 Hearts versus Kotoko clashes in the league on three occasions. Hearts lead the way with 3 victories (after scoring four) to Kotoko’s one.

First, Hearts beat Kotoko 4-3 in an abandoned game in 1958 at the Jackson Park – the Phobians won the replay at the same venue 5-2; Kotoko avenged that defeat with a 4-2 win in Accra the same year. But Hearts repeated the trick again, a quarter of a century later from 1958, when they beat Kotoko 4-3 in another classic thriller in Kumasi.

Close to two decades later after the terrific 4-3 Hearts win over Kotoko in 1983, Cecil Jones Attuquayefio whose career had spiraled down after he picked up an injury whilst playing for – Hearts of Oak’s city rivals – Accra Great Olympics against Kotoko in the 1971 Africa Club Champions semi-final, had his revenge when the team that brought him success as the Best Coach in Africa in 2000, trounced Asante Kotoko 4-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

A rainy Wednesday morning and a mid-week fixture in only the second game of the season saw Kumasi Asante Kotoko trek to the Accra Sports Stadium to face old foes Accra Hearts of Oak. The Porcupines had a good start to the year after they beat Hearts in the J.O.T Agyeman Cup in February, 2000. It was time to repeat the dosage or – as time will later exemplify – to suffer their heaviest defeat since Ebusua Dwarfs shamed them 5-0 three decades earlier.

Hearts, in search of a first continental Cup in their 89-year history, were disinterested in the league after winning it on three consecutive occasions. The focus had switched to Africa, and the team was put to a secret training camp from January, 2000. A preparation for the African odyssey, has fate will have it, prodded Kotoko to Accra on the 15^th of March, 2000.

What transpired could never be written down. An attempt to describe the day would be an understatement and an injustice, as an adjective worthy of perfectly depicting the game is yet to be coined by the Queen of England – an unofficial petition letter has been sent to Her Royal Highness in regard to a neologism befitting the 4-0 rout. But 15 years on, the Buckingham Palace reply has not reached the shores of the capital, Accra.

Four nil, the game ended. The precocious Ishmael Addo, top-scorer for Hearts in the derby with Kotoko, grabbed his customary two before the first half. Addo’s first, a thumping header from a Kenneth Sarpong cross in the 24^th minute left defender Frank Atsu in a Sisyphean struggle, heading on beyond his keeper. The young assassin’s second, a sweet temerarious chip from outside the box over goalkeeper Oscar Asamoah few minutes to the half hour. It was so good that the commentator was left in stupefaction… “What a goal? Ishmael Addo…. Oooooooooooh!”

Kenneth Sarpong, one of the most silent yet salient stars of the 64-battalion juggernaut, added the third goal after the break with a sweet volley that could be watched over and over again, without the slightest feeling of monotony.

Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, the General, had redefined the word coolness and panache in front of goal with the most exquisite set of skill in the box since man had found delight in toying with the round leather ball.

Opoku Afriyie, Francis Kumi and K. Badu had established a standard in the derby when they scored for Kotoko to win 3-0 in Accra in 1980.

20 years on, the 64-battalion had obliterated the record in the derby; a sweet revenge and the greatest Hearts of Oak victory over Kotoko in 101 games. Thank you to the following legends who made this day possible. Thank you Cecil Jones for the unbridled joy you gifted us. And we will forever remember this day, and celebrate the names of the 64 battalions. Hearts XI is a mighty team. 4-0. 4-0. 4-0. 4-0. Kotoko, what is the score? Four – Zero. Again? Four! Or you want more?

Full-time Result: Hearts 4-0 Kotoko.

HEARTS XI:

Sammy Adjei; Yaw Amankwah Mireku, Jacob Nettey (C), Justice Ampah, Stephen Tetteh; Joe Ansah, Charles Allotey ( Adjah Tetteh), Charles Taylor, Kenneth Sarpong ( ); Ishmael Addo (Emmanuel Adjogu), Emmanuel Osei Kuffour.

[Somebody asked me, why do you celebrate a past result? My answer was simple: I saw a T-shirt celebrating a Kotoko 2-0 victory over Hearts

Kotoko memorabilia shirt being rocked by a mate…. 2-0 they beat Hearts. And T-Shirts to make the occasion?

. Now, do you still feel I should not celebrate a 4-0 score? What would they have done had they won by that margin against us? Maybe, they will build a 4-0 statue at the entrance of the Babayara………]

NB: At Hearts, nobody celebrates the 4-0 win. What we celebrate or commemorate are the 4 trophies we won. The 4-0 is just an appurtenance……

Ain’t you proud to be a Phobian?

XI FAMOUS HEARTS victories at the home of ASANTE KOTOKO

It’s that time of the season, when the Glorious Acccra Hearts of Oak rekindles her eternal rivalry with Kumasi Asante Kotoko, and leading up to the game on Saturday, HeartsEleven.wordpress.com, will take you through Heart of Oak’s finest league victories at the Kumasi fortress of Kumasi.

1. KOTOKO  3 – 4 HEARTS (24th August, 1958):
   This game was the beginning of the age-old rivalry between the two Ghanaian heavyweights. Hearts of Oak were the dominant force in pre-Independent Ghana, having won the Guggisberg Shield six times in 12 years.  In confirmation of the Rainbow Club’s pre-Independence supremacy, and on this first ever meeting in the league against Kotoko at the Kumasi Jackson Park, the Phobians played the home side off the pitch. In an exciting opening 45-minutes, Hearts scored three quality goals through Ofei Dodoo, C.K Gyamfi and Nii Dowuona. But after recess, Kotoko pegged back the scores before Ofei Dodoo

   

   Ofei Dodoo was the first player to score in the Hearts-Kotoko rivalry.
   He scored a brace in the first meeting.

   doubled his tally to put Hearts in the lead again. However, the game was abandoned in the 70th minute when Kotoko’s Dogo Moro refused to leave the pitch after he was red-carded by the center Referee. In the temporary kerfuffle, Hearts goalkeeper Addoquaye Laryea was injured and rushed to the hospital, and 100 fans were arrested after the confusion escalated into a riot.
   But although the game did not end, the Hearts win was never in doubt.

2. KOTOKO 3 – 4 in Kumasi (1983):
   A-quarter-of-a-century after taking a commanding 3-0 first half lead in Kumasi , and allowing their opponents to peg the scores, before going on to take the lead again, Hearts repeated the wondrous chicanery against Kotoko at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. The Rainbow Club, powered by Sam Yeboah’s brace and Botwe’s goal, took a sensational 3-0 lead before the break against the home side. However, Opoku Nti – now CEO of Kotoko – scored three quick goals on resumption to level the scores. But in another dramatic twist, defender Hesse Odamtten headed the winner late on to quell the threatened Kotoko rebellion. Odamtten’s header could still rate as the best headed goal scored in Hearts history. It was not so much for the technique or power as the bravery, daring and temerity to dive in, knowing he would be injured after connecting to the ball. Injured, he was after the goal, but Hesse Odamtten never cared as Hearts carried all the three points.

KOTOKO 1 – 2 in Kumasi (3^rd March, 1978):
It’s highly unusual for 10 men to win against 11 men in a football game, but it is extremely unfathomable for 9 men to win against 11 men away from home in a Derby match. But that is exactly what Glorious Hearts did in 1978 at the home of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, during the pomp of the “Fearsome Fivesome”. Midfield maestro, Robert Hammond, was in his elements to set up Bismark Odoi for the first goal in the first half. Kotoko equalized 10 minutes after the break but Hearts protested against the contentious equalizer only for Referee Bah Alhassan of Sunyani to send off skipper Robert Hammond and Seth Ampadu in the 55^th minute. For 35 minutes, the nine men played as if they were 20. Thrice, Yahya Kahn had to be alert to avert Hearts from taking the lead again, but at the death, he would wilt and so would the Porcupine fans. If the Phobians felt hard done by the Kotoko goal and the refereeing, it was all forgotten when Douglas Tagoe conjured a thunderous strike at the death to gift 9-man Hearts all the three points, the bragging rights, and most importantly, instant justice that put Kumasi to silent sorrowful sleep.

4 KOTOKO 1 – 2 HEARTS (8th February, 2009): The Daily Graphic (Monday, 9th February, 2009 edition) called it a “21-gold carat performance” from Accra Hearts of Oak. They were not wrong. Hearts outclassed, outfoxed, outmaneuvered, outrun and outplayed Kumasi Asante Kotoko in their backyard during this fixture. Hassan Mohammed scored first and Obed Ansah doubled the lead in the second half before Stephen Oduro pulled a goal back. But it could have been more had Hearts not taken her foot off the gas, and the young Samuel Afum

Samuel Afum in a league action for Hearts. He missed a lot of chances in his first game against Kotoko, but he scored back-to-back when he found his feet against the old enemy in the 2009/10 season.

not laced his scoring boots with clemency shots.

The 2-1 win in Kumasi was Hearts’ first victory over Kotoko at the Kumasi Sports Stadium since Edmund Copson’s

Edmund Copson, second from right, scored for 10-man Hearts to beat Kotoko in Kumasi in 1999.

lone goal put the Garden City to early sleeplessness in 1999. But the decade-long reprieve is flattering for the Porcupines who managed only two wins in that space of time. In fact, the Phobians actually pipped Kotoko 0-1 in the latter’s 2006/7 premier league home fixture that had been shifted to Cape Coast as a result of reconstruction work at the Kumasi Sports Stadium in preparation for the CAN 2008.

5. KOTOKO 1 – 2 HEARTS (1990)

   A league decider that established Accra Hearts of Oak’s reputation for the big occasion. The Rainbow Club was a point ahead of Asante Kotoko and needed a draw to secure the league title, but Hearts did not do “draws” when it mattered most.

   The rhetoric before the much-anticipated match was:  “

   

   Boy wonder Papa Shamo Quaye leather outdoes Kotoko prodigy Joe Debrah.

   Shamo Quaye versus Joe Debrah: Who is Who?”
   The home team paraded a crack rearguard, which they called “barrier”, made up of the likes of Black Stars defenders Emmanuel Ampeah, Kwasi Appiah (former Black Stars captain and coach), Frimpong Manso, but Hearts entered the game as barrier-breakers.

   Shamo Quaye gave Hearts the lead shortly after the break with a sweet volley, not only to power Hearts to victory but to confirm his triumph over his rival, Joe Debrah on the day. However, Starlets defender Baba Musah rose highest to head home the equalizer from a corner kick. But before the jubilant home supporters could regain their calm and resume their seats, Anthony “the cannonball” Tieku had restored Hearts’ lead, tapping home the rebound, after Kotoko goalkeeper Mohammed Odom failed to give a firm grab of Mohammed Polo’s shot, which had come about after the magnificently marvelous Mohammed had waltzed past five players straight from the restart. Remarkably, that was the day Kotoko fans serendipitously celebrated a Hearts goal. The legion of Porcupine fans were still basking in the ephemeral glory of their equalizer and did not see the Anthony Tieku winning strike. They only realized Hearts had scored the winner at full-time, when the score-board read 1-2 for the Rainbow Club.

[The above legend was a replica of the 1985 decider in Kumasi. There again, the Phobians needed a draw to clinch their second straight league title. Inspired by ex-Kotoko legend Opoku Afriyie, the Rainbow boys ran away with a famous 0-1 victory courtesy Joe Amoateng.]

6. KOTOKO 0 – 1 HEARTS (1970)

From the esoteric world, news had filtered through prior to the game that for Hearts to win the game, a player would have to “self-immolate”. Stand forward, George “Ga Mantse” Alhassan

George “Ga Mantse” Alhassan got his leg broken by Oliver Acquah but Hearts won the game without their famous striker. [right – Pele]

, who sacrificed his body for the Phobia victory. All these might have been coincidental, but the truth of the matter was that Hearts did, indeed win by a lone goal, and George Alhassan got his league broken by defender Oliver Acquah in the third minute of the game. This was also the season city-rivals Accra Great Olympics pipped Hearts to the league by a single point, and Kotoko, defending league champions, finished a disappointing 11^th.

Hearts were not so forgiving when the two met at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. The Daily Graphic reporter on the match day, E.A Boateng, reported the game thus: “Kumasi Asante Kotoko yesterday crumbled before thousands of their followers to Accra Hearts of Oak in their outstanding league match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium

And the 1-0 defeat which they suffered will go down in the record books as the bitterest ever tasted at the hands of Hearts, for they were outclassed in all the departments of the game. It was a first minute goal scored by Africa Cup star Robert Foley who brilliantly gave a scissors kick to a well taken corner kick by left winger Kofi Bruce.

Throughout the game, Hearts played a masterpiece of soccer and excelled both in strategy and skills.

Their defense pivot on veteran Addo Odamtey rendered Kotoko’s attack ineffective.

Master dribbler Osei Kofi was well marked and it was Africa Cup star Malik who showed brilliance in Kotoko’s attack but the resultant corner kick was wasted

Kotoko pressed hard but the vital equalizer never came.”

Need we add more to this picturesque description of the Hearts win?

KOTOKO 0 – 1 HEARTS (Sunday, May 12, 1991): Hearts of Oak were on the verge of a mental collapse after they were lugubriously knocked-out of Africa by Petro Atletico of Angola. The Phobians’ bright season had hit its first real test when they beat the Angolans 4-2 in Accra, only to lose 3-1 in Angola. To make matters worse, a few players were accused of pilfering at their Luanda hotel. The league had also faced a lot of postponements during the first round, and when this fixture arrived, the Porcupine fans rubbed it in for Hearts by showing up with bed sheets at the Stadium, a clear mimicking of the “Hearts-Angola-Bedsheet-gate.” Now, the game was supposed to be a party for the red half of Kumasi, but Hearts rose to the occasion once again. The equally brilliant and enterprising Ezekiel Alamu scored the only goal of the game, seven minutes into the second half, to once again silence the planned Phobia humiliation. Kotoko fans had come poised to deride their rivals, but the Phobians ended up riding shoulder high back to the Capital. He who laughs last…

8. KOTOKO 1 – 2 HEARTS (1^st December, 1996): This was the first game of the 1996/97 season. Hearts took the long trip to Kumasi to face Kumasi Asante Kotoko on the opening day, and it was here that the Phobians laid the gauntlet for the season.

Long time servant and captain, Nii Noi Dowuona put Hearts in the lead in the first half, but after the break, Kotoko equalized through a penalty. Hearts got a penalty of their own, which was spurned by Godwin Ablordey (latter day Kotoko legend), but Theophilus Amusu was on hand to score the winner for the visitors. It is the most important single win for Hearts in the late 20^th century against Kotoko. That victory turned the tide for Hearts, and gave the players the belief that they could achieve the ultimate. And they did go ahead to win the league at the end of the season. Coincidentally, and more befittingly, Nii-Noi Dowuona, once-upon-a-time-Hearts-green-horn, was the one who popped  up to convert a late penalty against city-rivals Great Olympics to hand Hearts her first league title since 1990. Unknown to anybody then, the Phobians were sowing the seeds for an unprecedented period of dominance in Ghanaian football, a phenomenal era that saw their eventual annexation of the CAF Champions League in 2000, the fourth year of Hearts’ six-year stranglehold on the local league.
9. KOTOKO 1 – 2 HEARTS (17^th October, 1976): The Phobians had gone three years without the league title, although they had a very talented squad.

Promotion from within had seen youngster Ofei Ansah break into the squad, and a rising Mohammed Polo cementing his name in Ghanaian football history. Hearts were held to a 1-1 drawn game by league contenders Kotoko in Accra, but they needed to win the return league in order to set day-light between themselves and their closest challengers, Kotoko in the season. At the Kumasi Sports Stadium, Malik Jabir got the opener for the home side in the first half, but Peter “goal-thief” Lamptey and Robert Hammond scored to turn defeat to victory for Hearts of Oak. The Phobians won their remaining two games to clinch the league title, and also start another period of dominance which would see them win three titles in four seasons, but unfortunately, the late 1970s revival could not lead to a continental success.

10. KOTOKO 1 – 2 HEARTS (13^th June, 1993): There was something special about Hearts in the early 1990s when they went to play Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. What exactly it was, we still cannot pin-point, but the Phobians always rose to the occasion at the cauldron of the Porcupines. This game was the last of four consecutive away victories at the home of Kotoko, from 1989-93 – all of them ending by one goal victory margins; 1-2, 0-1, 0-1, 1-2.

On this occasion, Bernard Aryee and Massawudu scored two beautiful goals in a space of 23 minutes of the first half to hand Hearts a healthy lead before the break. Strangely, Kotoko goalkeeper Sampson Appiah was replaced by Anthony Osei Kojo after conceding the two goals, and the Porcupines pulled a goal back mid-way into the second half through Joseph Okyere, but Hearts held on to continue their four-game winning streak at the home of Kotoko in the league.

11. KOTOKO 2 – 5 HEARTS (2^nd November, 1958): This was the second ever game between Hearts and Kotoko. Although details of the scorers and history-makers have been lost to time, the 5 Hearts of Oak goals still remain the highest scored by one-side in the 100 league games played between the two sides. The Kumasi Jackson Park played host to what was popularly becoming the Game-of-the-Nation post Independence. After Dogo Moro’s refusal to leave the pitch when he was red-carded had plunged the game into anarchy leading to a call-off, with Hearts leading 4-3 at the home of Kotoko, the League Management Committee ordered for a replay on the 2^nd November, 1958. Hearts continued where they had left off, pummeling their opponents to a 5-2 humiliation in the replay to set her on course for her second league triumph in two years – and first title win in Independent Ghana. The Hearts victory also set Phobia minds wondering what could have been, had the first meeting not ended at 4-3. Maybe, Hearts could have scored more in the last 20 minutes, but it did not matter at all, as the 5-2 win in the replay was enough justice.

[Give us a follow on twitter: @HeartsEleven].

The Rebirth of the flamboyantly fantastic Fiamenyo Gilbert – and the football lessons for Hearts fans.

The New Rise of Fiamenyo – and the moral lesson for Hearts fans.

“Take him off, Herbert Addo!”

“We should play 10 against 11 and bench Fiamenyo!”

“If Fiamenyo is our striker, then we must forget it!”

“Fiamenyo must learn from Ahmed Toure!”

“Look at his buttocks! He cannot even run!”

“Fiamenyo is fat and s**t!”

“Fiamenyo is disgracing us!”

“Fiamenyo must not wear the Hearts jersey!”

“Sell Fiamenyo for free!”

“Fiamenyo cannot help us!”

“Is Fiamenyo a sumo wrestler or a footballer?”

Those were the popular “praises” hurled at Gilbert Fiamenyo during the Hearts pre-season – particularly the Top 4 competition.

Can you cross your heart and say, you never used any of the above “praises” for Gilbert Fiamenyo or even worse which cannot be printed? Yes, I am waiting. I have got all day.

But never mind. That was how we tore the guy’s confidence into pieces; shattered his ego like a pedigree dog. He had fallen down in our sight and we just wanted to get rid of him – for good too.

And it got to the man Fiamenyo. After training, he walked with his head down, but still we pointed fingers at him. Then he started using his ‘togbe-cap’ or balaclava – if you like – and still the abuses continued; just picture a man of Fiamenyo’s frame trying so hard not to be seen.

Yet, it did not end on the field or even at training; it followed him home. His girlfriend of six-years left him. And he fell again. He tried to smile but there was no one to smile to. And even before then, he was a broken-man-walking as he nearly wept when they prevented him from entering the local Black Stars hotel when they returned as runners-up from the CHAN tournament in January last year.

His family became worried and even relatives said he was disgracing the family name. Everywhere they went, people were making fun of the family name F-I-A-M-E-N-Y-O.

And that nearly ended it for the young man. He felt like the wealthy man who had myriad gold yesterday, but could not even afford to buy water today.

Backtrack 2 years earlier; he was the toast of the fans even though he had not kicked a ball for Hearts. On the 14^th August, 2012, Fiamenyo’s picture was on the front page of HEARTS NEWS with these beautiful words sprinkled around his frame: “HEARTS SIGN FIAMENYO! Fiamenyo: Once a Lion now a Phobian.”

Front Page of Accra Hearts of Oak official mouthpiece HEARTS NEWS when Fiamenyo joined the club.

The fans had seen closely how he bullied Kofi Agyare and Philip Boampong in the ultimate game of the first round of the 2011/12 season. He did not score, but he left a huge scar at the Accra Sports Stadium, helping his team to bounce back twice to earn a draw with a shell-shocked Hearts. Fiamenyo had scored six goals before that and left for Serbia in search of a contract which never materialized because he had picked up a serious injury.

Hearts doled out the money and bought him from Heart of Lions despite his injury, and he repaid the trust with seven goals and four assists in the second round of the 2012/13 season. But that was it. He peaked at the closing stage of the season, and when he came back the following season, he had lost it all. One goal from 9 games (8 of which he started from the bench) meant his stock had fallen exponentially.

Things got from worse to worst for Fiamenyo in the Top-4 competition with even Head Coach Herbert Addo being pointed-fingers at for keeping faith with the out-of-form striker.

I cannot claim to be a Fiamenyo confidant or believer or praise-singer or best/close friend or anything of that sort. But the striker told me he would bounce back.

“I will rather make my name in the league than score in pre-season and fail to score when the season starts,” Fiamenyo asserted (in a private/personal conversation).

I took it as an empty bluff! Thought to myself sarcastically that ‘we want it now, you dey say tomorrow’. However, outwardly, I wished him well and gave him the words of encouragement that if he had done it before; he could do it again.

But, I honestly doubted him from what I had seen from training & during pre-season friendly games. He was missing the easiest of chances. He became King Midas, but only that everything he touched turned to dung instead of gold.

What was even painful was that whenever they substituted him in pre-season or even at training, whoever took his place came to get a goal or two to their name.  Two weeks before the new season, we had to pretend a match did not happen because he missed a penalty against Division 2 side Madina Republicans in a 0-0 draw at Pobiman. Fiamenyo had hit the nadir; and we did not want to stoke the fire against his already, not even tarnished, but non-existent reputation at the time.

But then, like the elders say: “Through every dark night, there is a bright day after….”

The phoenix in Fiamenyo rose again. He struck on the opening day of the season against Sogakope WAFA in the first game of the 2014/15 First Capital Plus Premier League – incidentally at Kpando.

Six days before the start of the season, he netted a brace against Division One side Akosombo Crystal Palace in a 5-0 rout.

Four games into the new season and he had scored five goals. Wait! Make it five goals in the first three league games. And they were not ordinary goals.

The first strike, a clever chip over the goalkeeper in Kpando against WAFA; his second, A CLINICAL STRIKE FROM A ONE-ON-ONE SITUATION to level the scores against Berekum Chelsea; quickly followed by his third:  a fox-in-the-box finish from a cross in a crowded penalty box to complete a remarkable turnaround for Hearts.

But despite his heroics, the Hearts defense condoned to steal the spotlight from Fiamenyo by losing the game 4-2 to Berekum Chelsea. Yet, he continued his scoring form again at the Essipong.

A half-turn volley from a beautiful team move involving Paul Acquah and Selasi Adjei was his fourth strike of the season, and he topped that with a super solo strike that got his markers down to their feet; and spectators off their feet, again at the Essipong against Medeama.

I hardly know how many  goals Gilbert Fiamenyo will score in the remaining games of the season, but even if he does not score again till the season ends, I strongly believe there are lessons for Hearts fans in his present – maybe ephemeral – success.

Not every player has the test of character or temperament of Gilbert Fiamenyo to survive the mortification, thrive under the hostility, and revive their career like the burly striker has done in this few days of the season. And here in lies the lesson.

Goalkeeper Tetteh Luggard is everybody’s villain. Every goal conceded is the fault of the young man. He committed not a single mistake – in my opinion – leading to the four goals he conceded against Berekum Chelsea.

But we called for Seidu Mutawakilu in the next game, and the pressure got to the young man on his first appearance. Once again, some said he should not keep again, forgetting that it was only his first ever start in the Premier League. Others sent an SOS to Soulama Abdoulaye straight away oblivious of the fact that if defenders did not defend their lines, it was the goalkeepers who would be exposed. And we kept saying we had a goalkeeping problem straight away instead of supporting our keepers.

Abraziz Abankwa, who has made giant steps in terms of performance – and could be, without competition, the most improved Hearts player, was also not spared at the Essipong when we lost to Chelsea. And midfielder Leonard Tawiah’s Hearts career is on the verge of dying even though he hardly put a foot wrong doing his defensive duties against Berekum Chelsea.

And even last Saturday, defender Isaac Oduro had to chase a fan with  a stone to protect himself after he was singled out for t he goal at Bechem. Why do we do all these to the players of the team we support?

All because, we are in a golden and never-ending-pursuit for a villain – or who to blame – whenever we lose a game or results don’t go our away.

Things are not going so well for Herbert Addo’s side at the moment, but what if we all throw our support for the team – in good and bad times!

Where will our support take us? What will the unflinching support do for the players and the team?

I look back to Coach Mohammed Polo’s penultimate game in charge of Hearts, and I get goosebumps when I recall how the fans turned up for the former Hearts hero.

Bereft of fan support throughout his short tenure, the fans resurfaced against the sworn enemy, Kotoko, in Kumasi. We, yes, the fans, were there to support the team; and just look at how the players played with so much pride and heart. If we can rally ourselves up against Kotoko, why not do the same against the other teams?

On the other hand, and most of you would be thinking of the alternative route to making players stand up for the Hearts jersey, I agree just to only a small extent the alternative route of making players stand up for the Hearts jersey. It cannot always be kisses for misses or hugs for thugs. I know.

And true, I have seen at close hand what ‘tough love’ can do for Hearts players. I remember how Samuel Afum and Mahatma Otoo came to be loved. They had to work for it; sweat for the love, respect, and recognition. But those who overcame are just a few compared to those who wilted – and never recovered like James Abban, James Bissue, Richard Addai, Edward Afum, David Anas, etc.,

Hearts is a big club and the level of expectation is demanding. But perhaps, we, the fans, must change our ways now and move from the come-to-be-entertained-only-supporters or only-good-time-supporters and part-time-supporters to TRUE SUPPORTERS, THROUGH AND THROUGH, for the PLAYERS, COACHES, and most importantly for the great TEAM, ACCRA HEARTS OF OAK.

If Fiamenyo can find his way back to the top through all these quandaries without our support, why can’t we help the team and the players back to the top with our very own support when results are not good?

Over to you, Hearts fan. Do you support only when we win or you will support us to win?NB: Sorry, Gilbert Fiamenyo, we take back all our bad words.

“Take him off, Herbert Addo!”

“We should play 10 against 11 and bench Fiamenyo!”

“If Fiamenyo is our striker, then we must forget it!”

“Fiamenyo must learn from Ahmed Toure!”

“Look at his buttocks! He cannot even run!”

“Fiamenyo is fat and s**t!”

“Fiamenyo is disgracing us!”

“Fiamenyo must not wear the Hearts jersey!”

“Sell Fiamenyo for free!”

“Fiamenyo cannot help us!”

“Is Fiamenyo a sumo wrestler or a footballer?”

[My sincerest apology goes to Gilbert Fiamenyo for using personal conversations we had in the past in my blog without his permission or knowledge. But I hope this will serve a greater cause than the small clip of the ear I will get from the big man].

Next BLOG: WAKE UP, OLLENU, AND CLAIM YOUR GLORY!

Hearts, show us your character.

The first spook in the wheel of Herbert Addo’s side caused heartaches of unparalleled magnitude in the minds of many Phobia fans.

Berekum Chelsea had done the incredible to beat Hearts 4-2 even when they were down by 2-1 at halftime.

But the signs were already on the wall. Head Coach Herbert Addo had inferred it was going to be an easy battle because Chelsea were playing away from home.

“We are playing on a neutral ground,” he said in his pre-match interview.

“The playing field at Essipong [Sports Stadium] is better than that of the Kpando Park so I hope we will find our passes in the final third and score a lot of goals.”

Clearly, we all expected an easy game against Berekum Chelsea, who were serving a home ban, and so had to host us at the Essipong Sports Stadium.

Maybe, if we knew we were going to the Golden City Park, where Chelsea had beaten Hearts five times out of the last six meetings, the preparation and mental attitude for the match would have been better.

Instead, and because we had beaten XI Wise at the venue, we thought it was going to be an easy ride for us.

All we needed to do was just turn up and play fancy football.

But, no. Berekum Chelsea made it clear that they would not be pushovers, even better, they took the lead under a minute.

Chelsea defender Abdul Rasheed, whose throw-ins is like a missile, launched a long one into the box from the right side of the Hearts defense.

Kweku Andoh and Abraziz Abankwa allowed the ball to fly over their heads; Tetteh Luggard, in goal, thought his defenders would attack the ball. They all stopped for the ball to fall for Stephen Baffour to score the easiest goal Hearts will concede this season.

It was a big shock. The players were stunned. But slowly, they came back into the game. Admirably, they got on level terms in the 18th minute.

Kwame Kizito cushioned a header for Fiamenyo, the striker latched onto the ball. He dummied his man twice just on the edge before driving into the box, keeper moved a step forward. Fiamenyo blasted into the net.

The new Hearts striking darling had scored only one goal in 9 matches last season. He bettered his 2013/14 season record in just two games of the new season.

Hearts controlled the game. They took the lead again in the 37th minute. Gilbert Fiamenyo will take credit for the goal, but it all resulted from the chicanery of Kweku Andoh on the left side of the Hearts attack.

Emmanuel Hayford’s corner kick, from the right side, was headed out to the left. Andoh got to the ball first and turned away facing his half, but with the drop of a shoulder, he left his marker rooted.

The defender sent in a good cross across the face of goal. Fiamenyo ghosted in to connect into the net.
Hearts had overturned the result.

They had chances to score more. But they played to the gallery. It was as if they had to score the perfect goal. They played delightfully, before and after the break.

But something happened. A bit of complacency set in Herbert Addo’s side’s game. Chances fell to Isaac Mensah and Gilbert Fiamenyo, but the former was denied brilliantly by Michael Sai, whilst the latter saw his strikes blocked in the box.

Against the run of play, Berekum Chelsea struck the equalizer. Fumador was steered away from goal, but he managed to turn to shoot. Kofi Owusu, who was expecting a pass from the striker, kept running into the box. Tetteh Luggard positioned to save the shot, but he was wrong footed as the ball bounced off the running Owusu into the net.

Hearts had no response going forward. They still wanted the perfect goal, but Chelsea, knew how to score from a set-piece.

A corner kick caused problem in the Hearts box. Stephen Baffour, stood unmarked in the box, to shot at Luggard. The keeper deflected the strike back to the Berekum Chelsea man. He was not even aware the ball was coming but the speed with which it hit him took it past Luggard.

Hearts woke up from their slumber. Probed and probed, only to be robbed by another set-piece goal.

A corner kick was deflected out for a throw. Another missile into the box. It was allowed to bounce in the box. Substitute Bennett Ofori reacted quickest in the crowded box. The Chelsea man’s strike was handled weakly by Luggard.

Chelsea had made it 4-2 from 2-1 down.

At the end, Hearts were totally dejected. They were exposed by the set-piece skill set of Berekum Chelsea.

But this is not an inherent flaw in Herbert Addo’s defense.  Andoh and Abankwa are not the tallest of centre-backs, and despite playing creditably well against WAFA, it would be miraculous to see the pair in defense again.

Goalkeeper Tetteh Luggard was, once again, the villain. Though he had no hand in any of the goals, individually.

It was a collective defensive collapse; but the body language of the team after the game, spoke of a side ready to restore our dented pride.

Who best to do it against than our new bogey-side Medeama.

Come on Hearts, show us your character.

The Referees have started, again; it is Hearts versus them, again.

On the final day of the 2013/14 season, I was there at the Accra Sports Stadium. At full time, I still did not believe it. When I woke up the following day, it still felt like a dream. No, he didn’t. Yes, he did!

Referee S.B Bortey had denied Mohammed Polo and Hearts a perfect end to the season by taking a hard-to-believe penalty against Hearts in injury time in a game with Edubiase United. They scored to make it 2-2. It still hurts today; not the goal but the pusillanimous decision.

Youngster Hamza Fuseini, who had scored to restore Hearts’ lead after another dubious penalty was given against us for the leveller, thought he was the hero for the day.

The utility youngster represented Polo’s coaching legacy. He was effective, yet unseen by many; he could play anywhere, but many could not distinguish him from Fatau Mohammed. The midfielder played so perfectly well at right back in the latter end of the season that the  experienced Emmanuel Ansong could not get game time. But all Hamza’s hard work, like that of Hearts, in a difficult season would be undone by one strange decision by a referee.

In the 2013/14 season, Hearts were disunited. They had no single voice. The fans were divided and so was the support of the team.

If our new attitude was causing our internal downfall, match Referees were having a field day in our period of turmoil.

Referee Otis Oppong, who was three-months pregnant, was the first to make a bold statement with his shockingly shameful performance in Accra.

What did the RFA, GFA and PLB, do? They allowed Otis to continue even when his physical appearance accentuated the fact that he was a disgrace to the Refereeing uniform, not to even talk about his competence.

But one thing was clear. We were disunited and so when we reacted, we were banned.

We were robbed again, in broad daylight at Tarkwa. Our player Emmanuel Hayford, had it not been for the fact that an ambulance stood in wait, might have been – God forbid – paralyzed by now. But what did we get? Referee John Atikese and the attempted-human-killer-turned-footballer Kabiru Moro went unpunished against Medeama [for Medeama, you don’t even have to name Referees. We are always playing 11 v 14 against them. And you will see on Saturday (24th Jan.,2015) too.]

And many, many, many more incidents of an organized attempt to officiate unfairly against Hearts continued despite our call for fair games.

I thought it all ended last season, but it has started again. At Kpando, we had three clear-as-day penalties but William Agbovi thought otherwise.

I looked back at the incidents and wondered what it would take for Hearts to get a penalty in the league? A gun-shot? Or our players carried in ambulances?

That reminds me: Thomas Abbey’s season was ended entirely last year when he got his ankle broken by goalkeeper of Amidaus Professionals, Richard Ofori-Antwi. And even then, the penalty was awarded not for the foul on the Hearts midfielder but the apparent pain he lied in after that unnecessarily nefarious challenge.

Against WAFA, yes newly promoted WAFA, the laws of the game was turned again. Kwame Kizito had sneaked in front of his marker in the box, had a touch of the ball in the box, but he was clearly pushed by the last man in the box – and it did not make sense for him to fall because the keeper was already at his mercy – but no. No penalty.

The same Kizito had a shot blocked by a flailing arm in the box. It was so clear the defender had absolute intention to block the ball with his arm. Everybody, including the players, stopped and looked straight at Agbovi. But no. No penalty.

Then, we gave Agbovi the benefit of doubt for the two incidents. But when the third one came after Isaac Mensah was held back in the box, we knew the rules of the game was not being followed to the letter.

Why would or should I complain now? We won the game, so no need to cry, but it made me fear that we are up against them again. That, if Referee William Agbovi, clearly and by a country-mile the best referee in Ghana, could officiate like that against us, then trouble is ahead.

I was there when referee S.B Bortey took that last minute penalty against us. And if Bortey could take a penalty for that incident [the defender and attacker all facing the opposite side of goal (moving away from goal), then what we saw at Kpando – a clear, 100% times, everyday in the week penalty; not once, not twice, but three times – under the nose of Referee Agbovi  then we will have to start fasting for the season.

Look, we were second in the league last year, but S.B Bortey denied us our legitimate position and the chance to return to AFRICA. But then look at what God did for us? We are in Africa, because Lions could not raise the money to go.

Let the prayers begin. Unceasingly. Because, we will need DIVINE INTERVENTION, again.