It's half time at the Cape Coast Robert Mensah stadium between Hearts of Oak and Heart of Lions. The Phobians are 1-0 down and Steve Akwettey, a director of Hearts tries to psyche up his players.

"We have to get the equaliser and go on to win this game. We cannot allow Heart of Lions to beat us. We have to defend the colours of Accra Hearts Of Oak. Ishmael (Addo). The whole thing is on you. Do it for us please."

At that moment one player looks down from his face. Dejected and brow beaten. Indeed, he does not even make it to the second half. Bernard Don Bortey has been taken out of the game. The player who Hearts depended on so religiously is now surplus to the fighting cause or so it seems.

Don Bortey has been bedevilled by injury and controversies which has seen him decline from a high of 18 goals per season to almost the last player considered in the trail by the Phobians.

Perhaps the "Don" needs a new challenge or he has to dig deep into himself as he recovers from injury. The fact however remains that the MVP of the 2002-23 league season is now a pale shadow of himself.

And some fans not oblivious of this want him to exit from Hearts.

Against Lions on Sunday, Bortey was a sorry sight, comparable to a present day Mike Tyson. Bortey huffed and puffed and looked light years away from his hey day.

"In fact Don Bortey did not impress me today" said Albert Commey, Hearts Of Oak's Public Relations Officer. He is still returning from an injury so let’s wait and see. But today he did not impress me," Commey said shaking his head.

"You see today Don Bortey not very good." Was the comment by Mitko Dobrev. And what the two Hearts officials saw, their fans saw too.

"He has disappointed all of us, I never expected him to play like this, Don is a very good player but it seems he is out of sort now," said Sulley of Accra Newtown who travelled to cape Coast to watch the match.

Mohammed Adanu, an avid Bortey fan told All Sports; "Today my master let us all down. We were happy to see him but he was not even running properly. I don't know if he is fed up with Hearts of Oak. He does not seem to have that hunger in his eyes. He is too down for me and it looks as if he is not happy. But Insha Allah, Don will return to form."

Such hopeful talk is likely to inspire the player who four seasons ago was the undisputed kinpin of the premier league. But his fame has always bedded controversies.

Bortey raved the headlines in the past weeks for his involvement with regional rivals Olympics. He was alleged to have been courting with Great Olympics and reports indicated that he wanted to join the Wonder Club.

Some fans thought that was the height of indiscipline.

"He can go to Oly, we no longer need him, he has shown disloyalty to the club and I want management to sack him" a fan held.

"At Hearts of Oak, we are principled and we work with rules. We don't want any further indiscipline. Everyday Don Bortey this or Don Bortey that. Last time he said some witchdoctor had gone to remove pins from his knees. The other time too he was training with Oly without management consent. We all love Don but his contribution to the team must be positive,” another fan held.