Heart of Lions handed Hearts of Oak a 2-0 defeat, adding to the growing pressure on coach Aboubakar Ouattara, who is struggling to regain the confidence of the club’s supporters.
Following a shock loss to newly promoted Basake Holy Stars in their opening game of the season, all eyes were on Ouattara to lead his team to a much-needed recovery.
However, Hearts of Oak endured another disappointing result, this time falling to Heart of Lions in Kpando, where their opponents delivered a determined performance.
With their head coach Bashir Hayford observing from the stands due to a misconduct suspension, Heart of Lions displayed resilience throughout the match.
The breakthrough came in the 83rd minute when forward Nana Oppong found the back of the net, putting Lions in front.
Just minutes later, midfielder Ishmael Addo doubled the lead, securing the victory and leaving Hearts of Oak with no time to respond.
This defeat marks the first time since October 2009 that Hearts of Oak have lost their opening two matches in the Ghana Premier League. Ironically, it was also Heart of Lions who dealt the Phobians a 2-0 loss at the start of that 2009 season.
Despite receiving support from the club’s management earlier this week, Ouattara now faces even more intense scrutiny after back-to-back losses.
Having narrowly escaped relegation last season, Hearts of Oak’s poor start has heightened concerns among fans, fearing another challenging season ahead.
With two straight defeats, there may be calls for change if Ouattara cannot quickly turn the team’s fortunes around.
