Soccer News of Thursday, 14 October 2004

Source: JFM

Attuquayefio Ponders Resignation From Hearts

The coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Jones Attuquayefio, is contemplating resigning his position after another unimpressive outing by his team in the seventh round matches of the national premier league.

Hearts struggled to a 1-1 draw with giants of the West, Sekondi Hasaacas, after Francis Aduhene put the visitors in the lead in the 36th minute. Adjah Tetteh soared above heads to draw the Phobians level in the 52nd minute.

Jones believes his players are not cooperating, as they should and insists if the attitude does not change, he would just back out. ?The players are tactically indisciplined.? ?They worked under a white man, a disciplinarian, just before I took over and I expect them to show discipline on the field,? Jones said.

The draw puts a dampener on Hearts? preparations for Sunday?s CAF Confederations Cup match against Sable Batie. The last time the Phobians stuttered on the local front ahead of a continental clash, they went on to lose to the same Cameroonian side.

But Jones told myjoyonline Sports that there will not be a repeat of that mishap. He said he first intends to focus on avoiding another defeat against Batie on Sunday before taking a bow, if he must.

The Interim Management Committee chairman of the club, Tommy Okine, hopes to talk his coach out of thoughts of resigning. Hearts? loss was Hasaacas? gain.

The technical director of the Western giants who seem to be on resurgence in the league, Alhaji Maama, said rued the inexperience play of his players for the draw, insisting, Hasaacas should have won the game.

?We?ve always struggled against Hearts so the drew is not bad. A lot of the boys are inexperienced because we could have won this game?, he said.