Hearts of Oak coach David Ocloo has come to the defense of goalkeeper Richmond Ayi following the team’s disappointing 5-1 loss to Medeama SC in the Ghana Premier League.
Ayi has faced significant criticism from the Phobian fanbase, particularly for the number of goals conceded, with specific focus on the first goal that ultimately opened the floodgates for more.
During the match, Medeama’s Derrick Fordjour found himself at the corner of the box and executed an intelligent strike that bounced in front of Ayi, who had already dived in anticipation of the ball.
Unfortunately, the goalkeeper was unable to make the save as the ball found the back of the net, granting the Tarkwa-based side an early lead.
In response to the criticisms, Coach Ocloo explained that there was little Ayi could do to prevent the situation, given the condition of the pitch.
He stated, “Ayi dove to catch the ball, but unfortunately, the ball took an unexpected bounce after hitting the ground and changed direction. So, I can’t blame him. If we had better pitches like Wembley, then we could confidently criticize the goalkeeper for such a glaring error. But no one should blame the goalkeeper for any of the goals.”
Hearts of Oak currently sits in seventh place in the league table with three games remaining in the season. In their upcoming match, they will face Legon Cities.
