German coach Ernst Middendorp has quit Hearts of Oak just after leading the Ghanaian side into the group stage of the Confederations Cup.

Middendorp told Hearts officials in the Senegalese capital Dakar, where his team was playing AS Douanes, that he was resigning for personal reasons.

On Saturday, he guided the Accra-based club to a 1-0 aggregate win over Douanes in the Confederation Cup.

Yet Middendorp did not return to the Ghanaian capital with his team, and left for Germany instead.

The German joined Hearts of Oak in February this year after a two-year spell at another Ghanaian side, Kumasi's Asante Kotoko.

The coach failed to steer Hearts into the group phase of the Champions League, which the former African champions have been unable to do since winning the title in 2000.

Hearts reach group stage

Nonetheless, Middendorp has insisted that his five-month stay at Hearts has been a success.

"In February, no one believed we would get into the last eight of an African Cup competition so it is a great achievement - even with all the problems at Hearts of Oak," he said.

"As a coach, you like challenges but you don't like to find solutions for one problem only for another to come up immediately."

Media reports have already tipped Benin's 2004 Cup of Nations coach Jones Attuquayefio to return to the club.

The Ghanaian led Hearts to their African Cup triumph in 2000.

Middendorp is the second high-profile departure to rock Hearts in a week, after regular goalkeeper Sammy Adjei joined Tunisian side Club Africain.

Adjei, who has been Ghana's regular goalkeeper in the last three years, played his last game for Hearts in the goalless draw against AS Douanes.