'Weak team' tag won't define us - Hearts of Oak Coach Aboubakar Ouattara

Hearts of Oak coach Aboubakar Ouattara has fired back at critics, dismissing claims that his side is struggling and insisting they are focused on achieving their goals.

Amidst growing criticism of his team's performances, Ouattara, after his team’s 1-0 win over Legon Cities, couldn’t resist taking a swipe at some critics.

Hearts of Oak have had a turnaround season, recovering from a poor start to the 2024/25 season, including two consecutive losses to minnows Basake Holy Stars and Hearts of Lions.

However, the 2021 Ghana Premier League champions have turned their fortunes around and have lost just twice in their last 14 games.

The win against Legon Cities on Friday, January 3, 2025, marked a third consecutive victory for the Phobians, who are now just two points behind leaders Hearts of Lions, who have a game in hand.

Despite this, fans and some football administrators have continued to criticise Ouattara and his team, with many describing them as weak and not fit for a title race.

Speaking after his team’s victory against Legon Cities, the Ivorian tactician, who celebrated his 66th birthday on New Year’s Eve, revealed that he is unfazed by the criticism but acknowledged his side's performance, even though they struggled during the game.

“Some people say we have a weak team, but we are playing. Every match is a challenge for Hearts of Oak. For now, we need to target maximum points from every game. It is normal to lose the 50/50 balls. When the other team is fighting, you also have to fight, but we didn’t fight in the first half. Fortunately, we got the chance to score,” he said.

A goal by Ahmed Ramzy Yussif on the stroke of halftime gave Hearts of Oak the lead as they went into the break.

However, they faced difficulties in the last 10 minutes of the game when Emmanuel Amankwah was sent off after picking up his second yellow card of the night.

Despite the setback, Hearts of Oak held on to secure a vital win.

The Phobians have now picked up 28 points in 16 games this season and are on course to reclaim the title they lost in 2021.

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