Hearts of Oak head coach Aboubakar Ouattara offered a blunt response to a journalist’s question during the post-match press conference following his team’s 1-0 defeat to archrivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday. The result marked Hearts’ third consecutive league loss to Kotoko.
The decisive moment came in the 95th minute when Albert Amoah seized on a mix-up between Hearts goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and defender Kelvin Osei Asibey, slotting home to secure victory for the Porcupine Warriors. The defeat was Hearts’ first in five matches and extended their struggles against Kotoko, who also defeated them twice last season and in the Democracy Cup earlier this year.
During the press conference, a journalist questioned whether Hearts had “gifted” the win to Kotoko. Ouattara, visibly irritated, did not hold back in his reply: “You asked me if I give the gift for Kotoko, I said no; they deserved to win this match. Let us be serious. Don’t take the question from lotto ground in Kejetia and bring it here, please.”
Despite his frustration, Ouattara acknowledged Kotoko’s deserving win and expressed determination to move forward. “Kotoko scored, they deserved their three points. I lost my three points. I have another four matches to go till the end of the first round. I’ll go and think about my problem to prepare my team for other matches,” he stated.
With the Super Clash loss behind them, Hearts will aim to bounce back when they face Berekum Chelsea in their next league encounter.
