Hearts of Oak would have liked to win our first match, defeat is painful, says Opare Addo

Hearts of Oak Public Relations Officer Kwame Opare Addo has expressed disappointment following the team's opening match of the 2024/25 Ghana Premier League, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to newly promoted Basake Holy Stars.

The match, held on Sunday, September 9, 2024, at the Accra Sports Stadium, left fans frustrated, leading to boos directed at the players and coaching staff after the final whistle.

In an interview with Asempa FM, Opare Addo acknowledged the team's desire for a positive start to the season, 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."

He emphasised the need for the team to move past this setback and focus on upcoming matches, saying, "We have to leave that behind and focus on what is to come going forward so that the remaining games go well for us."

The defeat has raised concerns among fans, especially given the club's struggles last season, where they narrowly avoided relegation.

Opare Addo reiterated the club's commitment to avoiding a repeat of last season's challenges, noting, "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."

"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 prepares for their next fixtures, the focus will be on regrouping and improving performance to regain the trust and support of their passionate fanbase.

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