Champions League Qualifier: Narrow Win For Hearts

Accra Hearts of Oak face a difficult second leg in the African champions league first round stage after managing only a 1-0 win over Togolese champions AS Douannes in Accra yesterday.

The phobians who went into the game hoping they could win big to make the second less difficult created several chances but managed to score only once through Wisdom Abbey twelve minutes into the second half.

As with most games involving Hearts, several fans blamed coach Herbert Addo for what they thought was a poor show. They pointed out that once again, the coach was poor with his selection and tactics.

The coach disputed that. He pointed out that his side failed to win massively because they were too poor with their finishing. ?This is the most difficult stage of the champions league because every side fights to get into the league stage?.

?The Togolese played to my expectation but we played below expectations. We created the chances alright but the finishing was just too poor. We can?t miss chances like that. These are chances these players never miss. So we have to do our homework more?.

Hearts were on the average the best of the two sides but poor finishing particularly from lone goal scorer Wisdom Abbey left Hearts fans sad afterwards.

Abbey too accepted responsibility for the misses but he remained philosophical about the game. ?Sometimes that is how football is. We played well, it is difficult at this stage but there are times when you have no control over what happens on the field of play?.

While Abbey was lively for the entire ninety minutes, Hearts were let down by the poor form on the afternoon of Emmanuel Osei Kuffour. He admitted Hearts had been poor on the day and that he too didn?t play in a manner to help the team.

And while this would be too difficult for Hearts fans to stomach, Charles Taylor?s absence was felt throughout the match. They missed his creativity and inspirational play.

The challenge in the second leg would be to play and play well there. The good thing for Hearts in the second leg is that Douannes would be forced to go forward than sit back the way they did in Accra. That should provide the feuding Hearts fans some hope.
Lineup: Sammy Adjei, Kutsu, Nii Noi, Dan Quaye, Kwabena Boafo, Adjah Tetteh, Don Bortey, Joe Ansah/Awudu Adama , Emmanuel Kuffour, Wisdom Abbey, Charles Allotey