Hearts of Oak are determined to bounce back from their opening-day defeat in the Ghana Premier League, as Public Relations Officer Kwame Opare Addo has emphasised the need to focus on their upcoming match against Heart of Lions.

The Phobians suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to newly promoted Basake Holy Stars on September 9, 2024, at the Accra Sports Stadium, a result that left fans frustrated and led to boos directed at the players and coaching staff.

In an interview with Asempa FM, Opare Addo acknowledged the disappointment of not securing a win in their first match, stating, "We won’t say that because we didn’t win the first match it doesn’t matter; if we had gotten the win, we would have liked it. It is painful."

"We have to leave that behind and focus on what is to come going forward so that the remaining games go well for us."

Opare Addo also highlighted the club's commitment to avoiding a repeat of last season's relegation battle, where they narrowly escaped the drop with a dramatic 3-2 win against Bechem United.

"We don’t want what happened to us last season to happen again. We would have liked a perfect start, but it didn’t happen. That’s not what we all expected," he said.

"But that will teach us some lessons to take forward in the competition. Going forward, we have to be much more competitive, purposeful, and stronger than what we did in the first game."

As Hearts of Oak prepare for their next fixture against Heart of Lions, the focus will be on regrouping and improving their performance to regain the trust and support of their passionate fanbase.