Confusion over Afriyie Barnieh's Hearts of Oak future

Accra Hearts of Oak appear to be in a state quagmire over the future of their star forward Daniel Afriyie Barnieh.

Barnieh’s future at Hearts of Oak is up in the air with conflicting reports on whether he will stay at the club or walk out of Hearts of Oak.

On Thursday, December 8, 2022, reports surfaced in the media space that a meeting between Barnieh’s management and officials of Hearts of Oak ended in a deadlock.

According to the report, both factions agree that Barnieh has outgrown Hearts of Oak and needs to secure a move abroad but the point of departure is how he will leave the club.

Barnieh’s contract with Hearts of Oak expires this and as such has all the power to play the waiting game and leave Hearts for free.

The Phobians, however, recognize that Barnieh is now a hot commodity and that allowing him go for free will be an unwise business decision. The club is thus willing to hand him and new contract so that the prospective clubs could negotiate with them.

Reports indicate that whereas there is some willingness on the part of his management to agree to this as they recognize the role Hearts of Oak have played in the career of Barnieh, they are unsure about Hearts’ plans.

Reports say it was discussed at the alleged meeting over how much his agency were going to pocket should they decide to go the path Hearts of Oak are proposing.

The two parties however could not agree on a deal and as things stand, Afriyie Barnieh is waiting for his contract to expire so that he leaves as a free agent.

But Club Consult Africa, the agency that handle the player have clarified the situation, stating that Barnieh is still contracted to Hearts of Oak.

“Afriyie Barnieh is and remains a contracted client of Club Consult Africa Limited. We urge the public to ignore any publications associating the player to any other agency. The player is still contracted and committed to Accra Hearts of Oak,” he said.

Barnieh was one of two local players who was part of Ghana’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Danlad Ibrahim, Asante Kotoko's goalie was the other locally-based player.

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