FootyDream

Hearts of Oak Communications Director Kwame Opare has blamed the team’s poor performance in the Ghana Premier League on their disastrous Africa campaign.

The Phobians failed to finish in the top four on the league table as they lost the Premier League title to arch-rivals Asante Kotoko.

Opare Addo claims their performance in Africa affected the team’s league campaign as well as injuries.

“We had the opportunity to play in Africa with the hope of performing but we were out in the playoffs in the CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup,” he said on Asempa FM.

“You look at our participation in Africa, it affected our performance in the Premier League. At a point, injuries set in which made it difficult for Samuel Boadu to have a standing team to compete.

“Ibrahim Salifu, Kwadwo Obeng Jnr, and other players who are key players were virtually out of the season, and at the time they returned, it was over for us,” he added.

The Phobians were dumped out of both the CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup.

Hearts of Oak finished the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League campaign on the 6th position with 46 points.

Despite their poor performance in the Premier League, Hearts of Oak will play Bechem United in the finals of the 2021/22 MTN FA Cup on Sunday at the Baba Yara Stadium with kick-off scheduled at 15:00GMT.

AS Fortuna du Mfou leading marksman, Adolf Enow Nkembe according to reports in the Cameroonian media have attracted interest from Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko and rivals Hearts of Oak.

The 22-year-old is out of contract at Fortuna du Mfou at the end of the month and has long been linked with a move away from the club.

Nkembe if moved to Ghana will be the second former AS Fortuna du Mfou player and the third Cameroonian to join the Ghanaian topflight after Franck Etouga Mbella and Georges Mfegue.

With 13 goals, 9 assists and 2 hat tricks in 22 games, Nkembe is the leading goal scorer in the Cameroonian league. Nkembe had previously played for Albanian side KS Kastrioti, American outfit Las Vegas Lights FC, Dragon Club, and Colombe Sport.

His burly physical appearance, stellar dribbling skills, attacking flexibility and  ability to surprise the keeper with long range shots gives him a leverage over other attackers in the Elite championship.

He has attracted numerous suitors including Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak, two significant European clubs as well as from Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria as reported by the Cameroonian media.

Former Asante Kotoko Chief Executive Officer Opoku Nti has shared how the club can excel in the upcoming CAF Champions League campaign.

The Porcupine Warriors will represent Ghana in the CAF Champions League next season after winning the Ghana Premier League.

Ahead of the campaign, Opoku Nti has called for adequate preparation and proper plan in order to excel.

“At all cost, we have to prepare well. The team also have to adhere to the program from the coach because if they are unable to prepare well it will be very difficult for them”

“Very soon the competition will start, the standard in Africa is very high, so our preparations and certain players we will need for the campaign must be fast” he said.

The Preliminary round of the CAF Champions League campaign will begin in August this year.

Former England youth international Eddie Nketiah has revealed that he is in talks with Ghana Football Authorities to play for the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana Football Association (GFA) is interested in Nketiah ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but the striker has stated that nothing has been decided.

“There have been discussions, but nothing has been decided,” Nketiah said of joining the Black Stars.

Nobody in history has scored more goals for England’s U21 side than Nketiah’s 16 efforts, but there is still a chance he could switch allegiance to Ghana if opportunities with the Three Lions prove hard to come by.

This comes after reports claimed the 22-year-old has been granted a Ghanaian passport.

Nketiah has been on the GFA’s radar for a long time, with the FA pushing hard for him to change nationality.

In May, Nketiah in an interview with The Beautiful Game Podcast revealed that it was possible to play for the Black Stars and that his options were open.

“My parents are both Ghanaian [so] of course it’s a possibility [playing for Ghana]. I’m open to both, that is playing for Ghana and obviously England as well. Being from Ghana, you would be happy that they qualified for the World Cup,” he said.

After scoring 10 goals last season and finishing the campaign as Mikel Arteta’s go-to option when it comes to leading the line, Nketiah signed a new long-term contract last week.