Hearts of Oak MD defends Benjamin Asare, slams critics

Managing Director of Hearts of Oak, Julius Ben Emunah, has come out strongly in defence of Black Stars goalkeeper, Benjamin Asare, dismissing criticism of his performances at the FIFA World Cup.

In a passionate statement, Emunah compared Asare's record with those of Ghana's previous World Cup goalkeepers.

"Richard Kingston conceded three goals in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup. He went on to concede twice in 2010 with by far the best defensive setup we have gone to the World Cup with," he wrote.

"Fatau Dauda conceded six goals in two games, Adam Larsen Kwarasey conceded one in one game at the 2014 edition, while Lawrence Ati Zigi conceded seven goals in three matches in 2022” he added .

Emunah argued that Asare's record deserves recognition rather than criticism.

"It is only a dumb football analyst who will discredit someone who has managed this relatively weak defensive setup by conceding twice in three matches," he said.

He also stressed that a goalkeeper's influence extends beyond the number of goals conceded.

"Your failure to even appreciate the defensive leadership role of a goalkeeper in modern-day football tells a lot," he added.

The Hearts of Oak MD concluded with a strong warning to the goalkeeper's detractors.

"We are not going to tolerate these low-class hateful football analyses anyhow. Any agenda will be crushed in equal measure. Benjamin Asare stands tall," he said.

PAH/VPO

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