MTN FA Cup final: Hearts coach under no pressure

Head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, Frank Nuttall, says he is not under any pressure ahead of the 2017 MTN FA Cup final against Kotoko in Tamale on Sunday, October 29.

The Scottish coach speaking at a Press Conference in Accra said, the cup final with Kotoko will not assume any special dimension, adding that he has prepped his players to take the game on Sunday as any other game.

“I am not under any pressure. I said that when I first took the job that I am never under pressure. These are challenges and hurdles to overcome and life is about finding solutions. I don’t regard being a football coach as pressure because there are other things in my life that I consider as pressure but not this one. Playing in a Cup final is fun and not pressure, this is the first time in 17 years that these two teams are facing off in a cup final and I am excited by it. This a challenge we face and we are ready to meet it head on.”

Hearts of Oak have been starved off a major trophy for the last 8 years and Sunday presents a perfect opportunity for the Phobians to add another piece of silverware to their trophy collection.

The two sworn-rivals both had a underwhelming season in the Ghana Premier League. Hearts finished 3rd while Asante Kotoko finished in 5th position, the first time in a while now that there are finishing the season outside the Top Four places.

The Porcupine Warriors sealed qualification to the FA Cup final after Saddick Adam’s extra-time goal helped Asante Kotoko beat Medeama 1-0 in the semi-final played in Obuasi earlier this month.

Twenty-four hours before Kotoko booked a place in this year’s FA Cup final, Hearts awaited in the final after beating WA All-Stars 2-1 at the Len Clay stadium in Obuasi.

The clash between the two most decorated clubs in Ghana is expected to live up to expectations in Tamale.

It will be the first time the two teams will face each other in the FA Cup since their last date in 1990.