Joseph Badu Ansah, skipper of Accra Hearts of Oak has called on fans of the club to exercise restraint when the going gets tough for them during their home matches at the Accra Sports Stadium.

In an interview with the GNA Sports at the Kotoka International Airport on Wednesday night before the team departed for Angola, skipper Ansah said fans of the club must not relent in supporting them when they are down because that would dampen their morale to fight on.

"It is not our intention to let the team down, we aware of our responsibility to ensure that our fans are always happy by winning all matches. Indeed, winning is our priority because we need our bonuses." Ansah stated.

The midfielder said he and his colleague get confused when their own fans boo them at every opportunity when they make little mistakes, adding that such practices affect their general out put at the end of the day.

He said as a champion club, all the remaining 15 clubs would be chasing them to wrestle the league title from them, making their matches very competitive but assured their fans that they would do their best to defend their phobian flag at all times.

The skipper called on the supporters to display the level of support they showed in Togo recently at all times, as they are poised to qualify for the champions league and annex the trophy for the second time.

On the match, Ansah said playing in far away Angola would not be a bother to them because there would be less pressure on them as compared to the home team and this they would capitalise on to snatch victory from the home team.

He hoped that they would come home with a victory in the match to make the second leg in Accra in two weeks time, a mere formality.

A contingent of 18 players and eight officials left the Kotoko International Airport on Wednesday night to play in the first leg of the 1/16th stage of this year's CAF Champions League against As Aviacao of Angola.

The playing body included Sammy Adjei, James Nanor, Philip Kutsu, Daniel Oppong, Daniel Quaye, Kwabena Boafo, Emmanuel Osei, Richard Nii Noi, and Daniel Coleman.

The rest were Joseph Badu Ansah, Lawrence Adjah Tetteh, Charles Allotey, Edmund Copson, Bernard Don Bortey, Awudu Adama, Massawudu Mumuni, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour and Wisdom Abbey.

Coach Herbert Addo and his assistant Emmanuel Ofei-Ansah were the technical men in charge, with Aliu Adjei as the team masseur.

The team was accompanied by Mr. Tommy Okine Chief Executive of the Club, with Steve Akwetey, Maxwell Addo and Alhaji Suleiman Braimah, members of the management board of the team together with Mr. Ernest Thompson Secretary to the Board of Directors of the club.