Soccer News of Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Accra Hearts of Oak sack Neil Armstrong

Africanfootball.com has exclusively reported that Hearts of Oak Managing Director Neil Amstrong-Mortagbe has been sacked after only just ten months in-charge.

The decision was taken by the club’s board on Monday evening after recent mounting allegations of misconduct against the FIFA marketing consultant.

There is also a strong opinion among board members that he contributed to the departure of coach David Duncan whose sacking cost the club a wallet thumping $40,000.

Recent unimpressive results for the club also compounded his problems but the allegations of misconduct against the staunch Hearts supporter looks to have forced the hand of the board.

“He has been told to step aside and a committee will be set up to look into those allegations of misconduct,” a highly-placed source within the board confirmed to Africanfootball.com, Africa’s leading football news website.

“He was told to prepare his handing over notes.”

Mortagbe’s future has been speculated the last few weeks in the Ghanaian media but the club last week issued a statement to rubbish those and claimed he was still at post.

A publication by the state-owned Graphic Sports last Monday claimed Mortagbe used the club’s letterhead in an illegal visa application scandal.

This resulted in his arrest and sent to the Darkuman Police station only to be bailed by a fellow Hearts board member.

Mortagbe came under scrutiny after how a US$ 1,000 gift from a club sympathiser to captain Moro Abubakar was paid in two instalments within three months when the amount was passed through him.

He was appointed in July last year and supervised one of the club’s worst campaigns in the Ghana top-flight.

Hearts are not in contention to win this season’s league with three matches left and were kicked out of the MTN FA Cup at the round of 32 stage by Division One League side Gold Stars.